Kilanerin end on a high note
Fluid set-up seals honours
KILANERIN 3-12 BALLYGARRETT 1-8
THE FLUIDITY of Kilanerin’s set-up was a notable feature as they took home the ladies’ football Under-16 Division 3 honours with an efficient 3-12 to 1-8 victory over District rivals Ballygarrett in the county final in Craanford.
With goalkeeper Hannah Noctor the only player lining out in her designated position on the programme, the constant inter-changing of tactics bewildered both their opponents and spectators alike.
And while risk-averse football is a modern phenomenon that has seeped down to under-age levels, the rotating approach here actually allowed Kilanerin to express themselves in an attacking way through off the shoulder running and short, snappy handpass routines.
They had seven points on the board before Ballygarrett registered, as singles from Alison Bushe and Laura Ivers, a brace from Aoife McGonigle, and three from the dangerous Olive Curtis opened up a 0-7 to nil lead after twelve minutes.
They also engineered a couple of goal chances during this spell, with Rachel Brady pulling off a good save with her legs to deny Eimear Dooley, who also fired wide from a separate chance shortly afterwards.
The seasiders got up and running through a free from Aoife Wafer, but two goals in a minute effectively put Kilanerin in an unassailable position before half-time.
Firstly, Tara O’Connor played in Curtis for a low finish, and when the latter forced Brady into making a save via the crossbar, Dooley followed in the punch to the net despite strong claims that she was encroaching in the square.
And the goalscorers added a point apiece, together with O’Connor, as the gap stood at 2-10 to 0-2 by the interval.
Ballygarrett actually won the second-half by 1-6 to 1-2, and finished the fourth quarter particularly strongly.
Two more points from Curtis were cancelled out by a hat-trick of similar scores from Wafer (two frees), and although O’Connor’s shot at the posts dipped into the net for a fortunate Kilanerin goal, Ballygarrett raised a green flag themselves in injury time when Caoilfhinn Nolan caught well and calmly finished.
The aforementioned Olive Curtis was the stand-out performer among a number of candidates for Kilanerin, while Rebecca Burke, Megan Doyle and Caoilfhionn Nolan battled prominently for the losers.
Kilanerin: Hannah Noctor; Róísín Noctor, Shauna Owley, Saoirse McDonald; Elsa Hughes (joint capt.), Katlyn O’Connor (joint capt.), Dervla Noctor; Laura Ivers (0-1), Tara O’Connor (1-1); Orlagh Bolger, Olive Curtis (1-6, 0-2 frees), Aoife McGonigle (0-2); Róísín Hughes, Eimear Dooley (1-1), Alison Bushe (0-1). Subs. - Ashling Fitzpatrick for McGonigle (47), Cliona McCarthy for Dooley (57), also Bronagh Bolger, Eabha Last, Robyn Cousins, Amy O’Sullivan, Kiva Kinsella, Tara Boukhima.
Ballygarrett: Rachel Brady; Orla Wafer, Rebecca Burke, Megan Doyle; Fiona Cousins, Leila Mulhall (0-1), Aoife Doyle; Sadhbh Corcoran (capt.), Mia Davy (0-1); Caoilfhionn Nolan (1-0), Josephine Gahan (0-1), Aoife Wafer (0-4, 3 frees); Holly Moran, Katie Tobin (0-1), Shannon Fleming. Subs. - Therese Lawless for Moran (42), Sophie Moran for Fleming (42), Grace O’Keeffe for Aoife Doyle (47), also Michelle Davin.
Referee: Cathy Forde (Castletown).