Connacht Ladies 1-13 Boston Shamrocks 5-10
The Boston Shamrocks and Connacht Ladies deliverd another
very exciting, open, and fast ladies senior football contest. The Shamrocks repeated their feat of two
weeks ago, but in a more convincing fashion with fine displays from Mary and
Linda Cronin, Alisha Smith, and Edel McGovern.
It was anybody’s game until the final 10 minutes when a flurry of scores
and a Sarah Cunningham goal effectively decided an exciting contest.
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| Karen O'Shea wins the ball for Connacht Ladies |
The game was finely balanced and at the end of the first
half it was all square at 2-4 for the Shamrocks to 1-7 for Connacht
Ladies. The first quarter belonged to
the Shamrocks who played some great passing football. Sharon McGovern got things going with a well
taken goal. McGovern tipped the dropping
ball over the head of the advancing Caroline Heraty for the Shamrocks first
score of the game. Then it was the
Cronin sisters who reciprocated with Linda supplying Mary with the ball for one
score, and then the other way around for another point. With the Shamrocks rolling and keeping things
in the back line tight, thanks in large part to the efforts of Edel McGovern at
full back, another goal came from Orla Heavey.
Heavey was played through with a lovely ball and made no mistake from
close range. Connacht settled into the
game and began to win more of the ball.
Sinead Ryan took advantage of free taking opportunities and the
Waterford native pointed three times from frees and twice from play. Annemarie McDaid and Jane Ward had also
scored to make it just a one goal difference, before the high ball in to
Christina Newton paid dividends. Newton
fed the incoming Louise Brett who drilled the ball into the top left corner on
the stroke of half time to set up an enticing second period.
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| Alisha Smith drives it downfield. |
The Shamrocks had doubled their goal tally before the second
half was 10 minutes old. First it was
Mary Cronin who finished brilliantly from a tight angle, and shortly afterwards
it was Linda who put away a penalty after McGovern was fouled in the large
square. It was still close though. Connacht had pointed through Ryan and Ward
and following the goals through Brett and Ryan and there was just the two
points in it. The Shamrocks then powered
it home with some fine performances.
Alisha Smith in the middle of the field won a healthy amount of ball and
at wing back Niamh Lonergan turned on the after burners on a few
occasions. The key to the game was a
sequence of points from the Caherciveen sisters. Each put a lovely point over the bar, and
Linda a third to make it a six point game.
Smith then fed Cunningham for the Shamrocks fifth goal and that was the
game. The Shamrocks stand at the top of
the table and meet Tir na nOg next Sunday.
Referee: Sean Clifford
Player of the Game:
Alisha Smith (Shamrocks)
Connacht: C. Heraty,
A. Kerr, J. O’Connell, L. Burns, M. Trainor, E. McElroy, L. Ryan, K. O’Shea, L.
Brett, A. McDaid, J. Wad, J. McDonagh, K. Lynch, C. Newton, S. Ryan. Shamrocks:
Laurna Behan, D. Hallissey, E. McGovern, S. McMahon, A. McDonnell, B.
Gallagher, N. Lonergan, A. Smith, S. Carroll, O. Heavey, L. Cronin, S.
Cunningham, S. McGovern, C. Hegarty, M. Cronin.
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