Martin’s the Minor marvels
HWH-Bunclody bid blown away in one-sided first-half
ST. MARTIN’S 5-12 HWH-BUNCLODY 1-9
A DEVASTATING first-half display drove St. Martin’s past HWH-Bunclody to the ladies’ football Minor Division 1 championship title in St. Patrick’s Park on Tuesday.
The Piercestown-based club simply couldn’t be tamed in the first period. They broke from everywhere, attacked in numbers and with pace. It was one of those occasions when every one of their players was flying, and no one was losing their individual battle.
It was tough on a young HWH-Bunclody side. Nine of their starting line-up were in the first 15 in their Under-16 county final win last month, and this simply proved to be a step too far. To their credit they showed great heart in the second period and it will stand to them going forward.
Yet this was St. Martin’s night. They were largely frustrated in the opening quarter, opening up a 0-3 to 0-1 lead on the back of a Becky Hamilton point and a couple of dead-balls from the Ciaras - O’Connor and Bridges.
It was O’Connor who cut in from the left and netted after good work by Anna Mulligan in the 15th minute to open the floodgates. Emma Codd and Bridges added further points before O’Connor beat Michaela Murphy for the second time.
Rachel Scannell squirmed one past the HWH-Bunclody stopper before Bridges goaled from a clever Mary Barrett pass. Rebecca Murphy and Britney Conroy popped over points at the other end but Codd darted in on Lettie Whelan’s feed to make it 5-8 to 0-4 at the interval.
St. Martin’s were never likely to find a similar level in the second-half and they didn’t. Codd and Bridges got on the scoreboard and substitute Ellie Mernagh went close to nabbing a goal but her side couldn’t raise further green flags.
Instead, HWH-Bunclody kept the scoreboard ticking over with points from Rachel Murphy, Maeve Sinnott and Kate Hendrick. They certainly deserved a goal for their efforts and it came when Kate Kirwan drove through to beat the excellent Louiza Donnelly.
Despite their gallant effort, there was no way back into the contest for HWH-Bunclody, and St. Martin’s were able to give plenty of their bench a taste of the action as they coasted to an impressive county title.
St. Martin’s: Louiza Donnelly; Claire Barrett, Ella O’Connor, Megan Carty; Anna Hennessy, Niamh Dunne, Clodagh Walsh; Lettie Whelan, Mary Barrett (capt.); Emma Codd (1-2), Ciara O’Connor (2-1, 0-1 free), Becky Hamilton (0-1); Anna Mulligan, Rachel Scannell (1-2), Ciara Bridges (1-6, 0-2 frees). Subs. - Amy O’Leary for Mulligan (32), Ellie Mernagh for Scannell (40), Aisling Alouf for Hamilton (46), Peig Busher-O’Sullivan for Codd (53), Aoife Bridges for C. Barrett (57), Orlagh Parle for C. O’Connor (57), Sarah Hobbert for C. Bridges (60), also Fiona Esmonde, Aoife Dempsey, Aoife O’Connor, Lauren McLoughlin, Imogen Deas, Sinéad Hegarty.
HWH-Bunclody: Michaela Murphy; Orla Doyle, Chloe Moynihan, Yvonne Kelly; Amy Coleman, Rachel Murphy (0-2), Kayla Nolan; Kate Kirwan (1-1), Ciara Carroll; Maeve Sinnott (0-2), Kate Hendrick (capt., 0-2 frees), Lisa Kelly; Britney Conroy (0-1), Rebecca Murphy (0-1), Deirbhaile Ní Cheallaigh. Subs. - Aisling Cowman for L. Kelly (55), Megan O’Neill for Ní Cheallaigh (55), also Kayleigh Murphy, Becky Kenny, Aoife Mahon.
Referee: Cathy Forde (Wicklow).