THE SKY BLUES SOAR
North End United have too much firepower for Kilmore
NORTH END UNITED KILMORE UNITED 4 0 ON-FIRE North End United prove too strong for a youthful Kilmore outfit as they claimed the Michelle Coleman Cup final in Casey Park, Mayglass, on Sunday.
The Hollygrove side have been riding on the crest of a wave this season and are now unbeaten league and second tier cup champions.
This was a continuation of their form this year - a completely suffocating, unrelenting performance.
They were also mightily clever. Kilmore forwards Lisa Power and Katrina Parrock can cause any defence problems, but Danielle Chin stuck leech-like to the latter while Shirley Roche and Aoife Tormey corralled the former to make it a fairly comfortable afternoon for the champions.
Simply put, this North End team were too good all over the field. The wing-backs were composed on the ball and biting in the tackle, while Diane Leniston controlled midfield, allowing the other four around and in front of her to get at a shell-shocked Kilmore rearguard.
Player of the game Sara Byrne had earlier tested Katie Lawlor between the sticks. The Kilmore stopper stood firm to that threat but there was little she could do when Chloe Bates split her defence with a succulent pass to Shauna Carley who whipped the ball in from the right, and Martina Pender was able to turn it home from close range.
Lorraine Sludds thumped long to set Walsh away in the 13th minute but the powerful striker poked wide with Lawlor baring down on her. Kilmore had one half-chance when Parrock was fouled on the left but Rebecca Furlong’s freekick was blocked.
Chances came and went more freely at the other end. North End couldn’t have gone closer without scoring than they did in the 26th minute when Byrne forced Lawlor into a save and Pender thumped the rebound off the underside of the crossbar.
The second did finally arrive eight minutes before the break. Byrne’s dead-ball picked out Walsh in the six-yard box and the North End striker made no mistake with her header. Two up at the interval, the Wexford town side looked comfortable.
A little strangely, Kilmore withdrew right-back Megan Benson. It had the feeling of trying to plaster over a scratch on the arm when there’s a big, gaping wound down the sternum.
They did respond early in the second-half as Chloe Troy really started to get her foot on the ball in midfield.
However, North End defended superbly and gave up no clearcut chances.
When the champs went three up midway through the half it came as no surprise that it came down their left, with substitute Kim Walker crossing into the box.
Natasha Walsh got there before Lawlor and forced the ball past the Kilmore ‘keeper for the second time.
Only on the pitch five minutes, Walker added a goal to her assist when she curled home a superb strike from 30 yards out on the left to make it 4-0.
The victors had several chances to add to their lead but Kilmore battled away and kept the damage at four.
North End still have big fish to fry as the season comes to an end and they look to turn a double to a treble.
Premier Division champions Ferns await in the MMI.ie Wexford Cup final and, with the way the Hollygrove girls are playing, write them off at your peril.