Tir na nOg took a 2-1 lead with a fine second half performance in this best of five series for the Ladies Senior Football Championship. Leading by three points at the end of one, the Brighton based side opened the second half with seven straight points before the Shamrocks tallied a score. The Tir na nOg back line put in a superb performance in the second half, with Lisa Brick and Aisling Kelly leading the way, while up front Laurie Ahern put in a great performance.
Niamh Woods bursts upfield for the Shamrocks.
The Shamrocks played well in the opening period, but their challenge faded early in the second half. Had their finishing touch been sharper, it could very well have been the eventual losers of the game that led at half time. Treasa Doherty worked hard in corner forward, while Niamh Woods looked to be commanding the half back line. Deirdre Kelliher was a busy goalkeeper in the first half and was called on to make at least two great saves. Once from Charlotte Delaney, who never really got going all game long, and another from a well worked effort that Catriona Treanor tried to finish off. Tir na nOg proved more adept at capitalizing on their first half chances. The champions clipped three points, one from Ahern and two from Emma Conlon, while at the opposite end the Shamrocks hit two very scoreablef rees wide and another chance from play. The Shamrocks eventually got on the scoreboard thanks to a Mairead Doherty point, and Sinead Fadden brought them within a point with another well taken score. Conlon put two more frees over the bar for Tir na nOg and Niamh Coleman one, while Treanor pointed the Shamrocks last score of the half. After a closely contested first thirty minutes there was nothing to hint at the complete Tir na nOg takeover to come.
Tir na nOg took over on the second half of their encounter with the Boston Shamrocks.
It was a great second half from a Tir na nOg standpoint. Tir na nOg moved the ball well in the second half. From Brick at full back, through Kelly at center back and Laura Nerney in midfield and Conlon at center forward, Tir na nOg took complete control of the game. Tir na nOg put seven unanswered points over the bar, and after 17 minutes led by 10 points with the Shamrocks yet to score. The first half form deserted the Shamrocks, and some tight play from the Tir na nOg backs and aggressive blocking and tackling held the Shamrocks forwards in check. A point from Grainne Collery highlighted the way Tir na nOg were playing. The ball passed through four sets of forwards hands as they patiently moved the ball until finally Collery had the opening and took her score. There was a glimmer of hope for the Shamrocks after Charlotte Delaney latched on to a breaking ball to slot a goal home, but that was quickly extinguished. With the Shamrocks needing goals, it was Tir na nOg who scored them. Two goals in the final 10 minutes, one from Collery and the other from Niamh Coleman, underlined a comprehensive win for Tir na nOg. The first 3 games of the series have ended with one sided scorelines, however, I will not be surprised if the Shamrocks bounce back for the next one and we see a winner take all game later in August.
Shamrocks: K. Rosedale, J. O’Connell, C. Dolan, J. O’Donoghue, A. McDonnell, N. Woods, N. Hurst, M. Kavanagh (0-1), E. Burns, C. Treanor (0-1), S. Maloney, S. Fadden (0-1), C. Delaney (1-0), J. Norman, T. Doherty. Sub: G. Coyle (0-1). Tir na nOg: D. Kelliher, L. Gilmore, L. Brick, N. Daly (0-1), S. Patterson, A. Kelly, A. Waters, L. Ahern (0-5), L. Nerney, C. Kelly (0-1), E. Conlon (0-3), A. Cregan, G. Collery (1-4), N. Coleman (1-2), A. Bowie. Sub: T. Moran (0-1).
By Rory O'Donnell
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