Match Report, Ladies U13 Div 1 Final

Post date: Nov 7, 2011 12:22:46 AM

U13 Division 1 St Laurences 3-6 Kildangan Nurney 2-8

St. Laurences lady footballers held out for a one point victory over near neighbours Kildangan Nurney in the Kildare Ladies Football U13 Division 1 decider. On a beautiful sunny afternoon in Sarsfields both teams served up a great spectacle of competitive and skilful football. It was the Kildangan Nurney girls who struck first with a point from Lauren Kelly after two minutes and had the better of the exchanges for most of the first half. Megan Grufferty levelled the score with a point from play on five minutes, but then Kildangan Nureny took over. They scored 1-5 without reply to lead 1-6 to a point after 18 minutes. Strong performances from midfielders Charlotte Scully and Sabrina Kennedy and forwards Lauren Kelly, Aine Merrins and Katie Nealon kept up the momentum and they could have been further ahead but for some poor shooting and some stout defending from Fiona Tracey, Eadaoin Burgess and Ann Marie Farrell in the Larries defence. Points at the end of the half from Grufferty and Miah Phelan had the Lady Larries hanging on at halftime 1-6 to 0-3.

The second half proved to the opposite of the first. St. Laurences managed to keep Kildangan Nurney pegged back for most of the half, but struggled to score until the 13th minute. Player of the game, Ciara Wheeler found the net from a free kick to give the lady Larries the breakthrough they had been searching for. Three minute later, substitute Rachel Downey latched onto a loose ball in around the square to find the net for the Larries to level the game with 11 minutes to go. Another point each from Wheeler and Downey followed to give the Larries some breathing room. However it was Kildangan Nurney who finished the stronger. For the remaining 10 minutes, they made chance after chance, but the Larries defence held out and then Ciara Wheeler somehow found the net with a weak shot that ultimately won the game. To their credit, Kildangan Nurney did not throw in the towel, Scoring 1-2 in the last five minutes made for a tremendously exciting finish. However it was the hard work of Fiona Tracey, Alanah Berry and Avril Fitzpatrick that held on for the Larries.

Kildangan Nurney – Niamh Doran, Emma Newman, Emily Cairns, Una Higgins, Lara Gilbert, Orla Donovan, Grace Dooley, Charlotte Scully, Sabrina Kennedy, Katie Nealon, Lauren Kelly, Shauna Bond, Chloe Carroll, Aine Merrins and Gemma Merrins.

St. Laurences – Cait Mulreid, Alanah Berry, Avril Fitzpatrick, Eadaoin Burgess, Ann Marie Farrell, Fiona Tracey, Iona Grufferty, Ciara Wheeler, Miah Phelan, Cliodhna O Connor, Megan Grufferty, Leah McMullen, Jade Molloy, Rachel Downey, Roisin Deay, Alley Stanley, Sharon Casey-Grey, Eadaoin Roche, Sarah Bartley, Lisa Dunne, Leona Moran, Roisin & Niamh Crowe.