Taghmon take chances
TAGHMON-CAMROSS 6-3 R’GAROGUE-C’TOWN 0-4
AN INNATE ability to grab scores when the chances presented themselves was the telling factor as Taghmon-Camross claimed the ladies’ football Under-14 Division 3 title in Clongeen recently.
In an end-to-end encounter, the champions’ ability to shed the final nerves and fire a succession of fantastically executed goals was a sight to behold. There was simply no such thing as a wasted opportunity for these sensational forwards.
Not only did they have those players on the pitch, it’s rare to have such talent on the bench too with Hannah Kehoe and Ruth Ryan both able to come on to goal, while other substitutes slotted seamlessly in around the pitch and the Taghmon-Camross level never dropped.
It’s a tough one for a gallant Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, as they battled their hearts out but couldn’t get any luck in front of goal at all. It bodes well that they had so much of the ball and they will certainly grow from this experience and be back to fight another day.
County forward Megan Dee only needed one chance to get Taghmon-Camross into the lead. She latched on to Edel Ryan’s pass, soloed in and smacked high past Tara Davitt in the Rathgarogue-Cushinstown goal.
Catherine Hayes added the second major, a drilled effort across the goal that gave the ‘keeper no chance. Dee kicked a point before drilling home a perfect penalty, awarded after Hayes’ effort was blocked by a stray boot.
Chloe Monaghan was in fantastic form at the other end, making a fine save from Anna O’Brien in the first-half and several others after the break. Andrea O’Keeffe ensured her side went in 4-1 to nil ahead with a cracking strike in injury-time.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown pressed continuously in the first ten minutes after the resumption but their opponents defended superbly. When Taghmon-Camross broke upfield, Cora Banville provided the assist for Hannah Kehoe’s goal in the 43rd minute.
The substitute added a point before the girls in green and yellow found their range. Cora McGrath scored a couple of classy points and Elle Nugent hit the target too.
A clinical counter saw Ruth Ryan flash high to the net late on and Kehoe added another point.
Right at the death Gráinne O’Neill lofted over the point her gutsy performance deserved, but it wasn’t going to deny Taghmon-Camross their win, with captains Megan Dee and Flora Doran accepting the cup on behalf of their side from county Chairman and clubmate, Denis Nolan.
Taghmon-Camross: Chloe Monaghan; Ciara Roche, Flora Doran (vice capt.), Emily Roche; Hazel O’Keeffe, Lily Sidney-Kinsella, Molly O’Gorman; Chloe O’Toole, Alisha Deery; Edel Ryan, Cora Banville, Andrea O’Keeffe (1-0); Catherine Hayes (1-0), Megan Dee (capt., 2-1, 0-1 free), Aoibhinn Murphy. Subs. - Shannon Griffith-Benton for Roche (16), Hannah Kehoe (1-2) for Kinsella (31), Ruth Ryan (1-0) for Murphy (39), L.S. Kinsella for Dee, inj. (49), Tara Lee Doyle for Banville (55), Orla Banville for A. O’Keeffe (58), Eabha Doyle for H. O’Keeffe (60), also Leah McGee, Kate Banville, Anne Nolan, Rebecca Carroll, Chole Doyle.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Tara Davitt; Aoife O’Farrell, Claire McCarthy (joint capt.), Ciara Kirwan; Elaine Asple, Tara Roche, Tara Bookle; Cora McGrath (0-2), Eabha Cullen; Gráinne O’Neill (0-1), Elle Nugent (0-1), Anna O’Brien (joint capt.); Lilly Somers, Amy Stafford, Nicole Whitty. Subs. - Sophie Quigley for O’Neill (24), O’Neill for Somers (47), Allie Keevey for Whitty (54), Ella Rossiter for Stafford (60), Stafford for Roche (60+3), also Aoibh Thomas, Mairéad Moran, Kathlyn Johnson, Mia Walshe, Julie Boland, Kianna Deegan.
Referee: Eric Molloy (St. James’).