AGB hang on for league win Enniskerry put up big fight

at Ballinakill shots dropped short and another went wide before Ailish Kelly got the first score from play. The ball didn’t go outside of the AGB 45 during that time.

Then it went up the other end and Enniskerry couldn’t get it beyond their 45. The first Arklow attack produced a penalty that Rodgers shot meekly wide and Muireann O’Connor added a second wide. Aine O’Reilly dropped a shot short and eventually Katie Hurley got AGB on the score board from a free. All of this action happened inside the opening five minutes.

Five minutes later there had been another five scores and Arklow led by 2-02 to 3 points. Thankfully the rate of scoring slowed a little bit but it wasn’t for the want of trying.

Katie Hurley waltzed through the defence for an almost certain AGB goal only for Murphy to make a brilliant save. Enniskerry attacked at the other end but only two of their nine shots found the target.

Where Enniskerry couldn’t take their chances AGB could and in the final twelve minutes of the first half they turned a three point lead into eight by scoring 1-04 to Enniskerry’s two points. Emer Curran scored the fortuitous goal as he shot for a point went into the net over Rebecca Murphy’s head. It was 3-06 to 7 points at half time.

Straight from the throw in for the second half Aine O’Reilly had the ball in the net and Enniskerry looked dead and buried. They didn’t go down without a fight though and four minutes later Ailish Kelly sent a rocket past Laura Rice in the AGB goal. Orla Kearns added a free and Kelly finished off a penalty to leave four between the teams.

Back up the field the ball went to camp in the Enniskerry half and AGB scored 1-02, Grace Hurley with the goal. The nine point lead looked insurmountable with ten minutes to go but Enniskerry gave it their best shot.

Kelly hit another brilliant penalty and Aisling Driver forced three chances for Enniskerry. Her free found Orla Kearns to punch the ball into the net. From the kick out Driver won the ball again and Shanua Kearns kicked another point. Driver got on another ball but couldn’t turn it into a score and Enniskerry’s chance was gone.

Scorers – AGB: Aine O’Reilly (2f) 2-03; Muireann O’Connor 1-01; Emer Curran, Grace Hurley 1-00 each; Katie Hurley (1f) 0-02; Eve Rodgers, Casey Young 0-01 each.

Enniskerry: Ailish Kelly (2-00 pen) 3-02; Orla Kearns (1f) 1-02; Shauna Kearns, Sophie Nolan 0-02 each; Ciara Lily O’Connell 0-01.

AGB: Laura Rice; Zoe Tackas, Kayleigh Earls, Caoilfhinn Kavanagh; Emily Mitchell, Becki Hayden, Meadbh O’Connor; Emer Curran, Ann Marie Keegan; Rebecca O’Sullivan, Katie Hurley, Eve Rodgers; Grace Hurley, Aine O’Reilly, Muireann O’Connor. Subs: Casey Young for Rebecca O’Sullivan (39 mins); Clodagh Hurley for Muireann O’Connor (61 mins).

Enniskerry: Rebecca Murphy; Bex Drew, Naomi Kirnan, Carol Kavanagh; Lydia Walsh, Emer Ryan, Aisling Driver; Shauna Kearns, Helen Kirnan; Sophie Nolan, Orla Kearns, Ciara Kily O’Connell; Kathie Brown, Aislish Kelly, Lindsay Hipwell. Subs: Katie Walsh for Rebecca Murphy, Jenny McGrath for Naomi Kirnan (both HT); Deirdre O’Rourke for Lindsay Hipwell, Louise Walker for Bex Drwe (both 53 mins).

Referee: Stephen McNulty