Minor football ladies bounce back
FIVE DAYS after falling by 40 points to Meath, Wexford had their own Easter Monday resurrection, beating a weak Offaly outfit in the Leinster ladies’ football Minor ‘B’ championship semi-final.
Given how poorly Wexford performed against Meath, a win and a performance was vital. It wasn’t great fare on a heavy Coolgreany pitch, but the Slaneysiders’ superior quality shone through and drove them into the ‘C’ final opposite Laois.
Much the same way that the quarter-final contest was over after 15 minutes, this followed the same pattern.
Wexford flew out of the blocks and were four points up inside seven minutes, with Ciara Banville, Rachel Bennett (twice) and Sarah Harding-Kenny all on the scoresheet.
There was a goal around the corner and it duly arrived when Ciara O’Connor got herself into an attacking position. She found Amy Wilson and the Castletown clubwoman rattled home the first of her five goals.
Jane Rossiter and Ciara Bridges found their way onto an ever-increasing scoresheet before the former was tripped close to goal and Wilson stepped up to place a perfect penalty low to the bottom corner.
With her side leading by 2-7 to 0-1 after the opening quarter, Wilson stung the fingers of ‘keeper Niamh Flanagan with a powerful strike from near the ‘20.
She didn’t have to wait much longer for her treble as the Senior squad member finished at the second attempt, after another Flanagan save, to ease her side 3-10 to 0-1 ahead at the break.
Offaly improved a little after the change of ends, or Wexford took their foot off the gas, depending on what way you look at it. Rebecca McDonnell popped over a couple of points but Ciara Banville continued to impress as she motored towards a six-point salvo.
Wilson netted again in the 39th minute after Jane Rossiter was bottled up, and she added a fifth from Bridges’ pass four minutes later.
Emily Coakley came off the bench to score her side’s sixth major with 13 minutes left, this time with an assist from the fivegoal heroine.
Wexford managed just a single Banville point in the remaining minutes but the damage was already done. Sarah Kehoe scored a couple of classy late points for the visitors as they exerted pressure, but a superb save by Doireann Cullen from a McDonnell shot ensured she maintained a deserved clean sheet.
Apart from the obvious individual talent, it’s hard to know where Wexford stand after their three fixtures to date.
The Laois game is scheduled for the weekend of May 13.
Wexford: Doireann Cullen; Aisling Halligan, Orla Fortune, Lauren Roche; Ciara O’Connor, Niamh Dunne, Róisín McGuckin; Sarah Harding-Kenny (01), Shereene Hamilton; Ciara Banville (0-6), Rachel Bennett (capt., 0-4, 2 frees), Ciara Bridges (0-1); Eve Hession, Amy Wilson (5-0, 1 pen.), Jane Rossiter (0-2). Subs. - Grace Cloney for O’Connor (42), Emily Coakley (1-0) for Rossiter (44), Julia Dempsey for Bridges (47), Cliodhna O’Connell for Wilson (47), Mollie Bates for McGuckin (53), also Sally Walker, Mairéad Crean, Geri Rose O’Connor, Eimear O’Hagan, Emily Rochford, Lara O’Shea, Michelle Carty.
Offaly: Niamh Flanagan; Niamh Brady, Fia Quinn, Therese Robbins; Róisín Ennis, Aoibheann McAndrews, Alisha Murphy; Lauren Keenan, Katie Guinan (0-1); Niamh Lydon, Angela Brady, Sarah Kehoe (capt., 0-2); Clodagh McKeon, Rebecca McDonnell (0-2), Tara Joyce. Subs. - Michelle Mann for Keenan (26), Anita Watkins for Murphy (40), Ella Hogan for Quinn (40), Maeve Kavanagh for Lydon (47), Holly Ryan for Brady (55).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).