Strong finish seals double for Shels
SHELMALIER ADAMSTOWN 4-5 2-6
SHELMALIER FINISHED far stronger and pipped Adamstown to the post as they claimed the ladies’ football Division 1 league title in Taghmon on Saturday.
In an extremely tight encounter, it came down to a tense final quarter where the Wexford District side outscored their opponents by 1-3 to nil.
Adamstown dominated possession and territorial statistics but failed to make this show on the scoreboard in the first-half and, despite being second best, Shelmalier took a two-point lead to the interval (2-2 to 1-3).
A Sandra Thorpe double got Adamstown heading in the right direction, but they were clawed back almost immediately when Ailis Neville finished on her second attempt after hammering her first shot off the crossbar from the penalty spot.
Ellen O’Brien levelled again in the ninth minute, but dead-ball points from Deirdre McMahon and Neville restored the Shels’ lead.
Chantelle Martin once again made the lead change hands when she chipped well above the advancing Leona Tector to raise Adamstown’s first green flag, but again that was cancelled out.
This time Neville scored direct from the spot when Shelmalier were awarded a second penalty, although Leanne Delaney in the Adamstown goal may be slightly disappointed she didn’t get a firmer hand on the effort.
After the re-start, Chantelle Martin pointed before Kellie Kearney left Delaney rooted to her spot with a sublime finish into the left side of the net as Shelmalier extended their advantage to three.
Adamstown then rattled in three scores on the bounce to take a one-point lead (2-6 to 3-2) into the final 15 minutes, as two more Martin minors were supplemented by a fine Cathy O’Brien goal.
Unfortunately for Adamstown, the failure to score in the final quarter cost them dearly.
Deirdre Byrne had hardly left the bench by the time she swivelled and finished past Delaney for the crucial fourth Shels goal.
Afterwards, two more Ailis Neville points and a McMahon single took the game away from Adamstown and completed the double for the championship victors.
Shelmalier: Leona Tector; Lisa Quill, Sadbh McCarthy, Fiona Kinsella; Eleanor Neville, Shauna Murphy, Kellie Kearney (1-0); Siobhán Cloake, Michelle Harding; Shelly Doyle, Clara Donnelly, Ailis Neville (2-3, 1-0 pen., 0-1 free); Sarah Harding-Kenny, Deirdre McMahon (capt., 0-2, 1 free), Maeve Quill. Subs. - Eadaoin Fitzgerald for Kinsella (36), Deirdre Byrne (1-0) for Doyle (44), also Róisín Tobin, Lauren Murphy, Mikaela Lanigan, Chloe Mythen, Caroline Curran, Maeve Doyle, Jessie Harding, Aoibhe Murphy, Deirdre Fox, Róisín Murphy, Siobhán Doolan, Finola Monahan.
Adamstown: Leanne Delaney; Róisín Dillon, Rachel Buckley, Aine Shannon; Catríona McCabe, Sarah Jane Flood, Lynn Bradley; Patrice O’Gorman, Róisín Stephenson; Ellen O’Brien (0-1), Katie White, Cathy O’Brien (1-0); Sandra Thorpe (capt., 0-2, 1 free), Chantelle Martin (1-3, 0-1 free), Jasmine Martin. Subs. - Annmarie Dunphy for J. Martin (42), Emir Murphy for Dillon (54), Julie Furlong for C. Martin (54), also Oonagh Barden, Jane Doyle, Róisín Barden, Eadaoin Stafford, Niamh Higgins, Claire Stephenson, Kim Reijsmeijer, Rachel Power, Ella English.
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James’).