Gilbert stars on trip down to Carnew

full-back, the midfield of Orla Kealy and Emma Katus enjoyed a right battle with Claire Turner and Ella Doran, and the Tinahely half-forward line of Dervla Byrne, Trina Byrne and Siofra Byrne turned in a very good shift.

The roaming Aisling Wintherbotham got Tinahely up and running in the opening minutes but only after Orla Kealy had everyone around the ground asking whether or not her shot had hit the back of the Carnew net or the side netting. It turned out to be the latter but the ease at which she seared through the Carnew defence with the help of a Loretta Gilbert ball was impressive.

Kealy grabbed Tinahely’s second point of the day after four minutes thanks to a Mand Robson Green pass and an Emma Katus point and Robson Green goal after a one-two with Gilbert left those watching the game under no illusions that Tinahely were a sharper outfit all over on the day.

But Carnew don’t do surrender. Roisín Kelly got them up and running after good work from Alanna Dagg but they were knocked back moments later when Gilbert unleashed her own personal version of hell on the full-back line to fire past Liz Collins for the game’s second goal.

However, Carnew answered well when Ella Doran supplied Niamh Myers with a ball and the handy looking full-forward split the posts with a fine effort to make it 2-03 to 0-02.

Carnew’s errors and stray passes were providing Tinahely with a convenient source for many of their scores but they still had to be scored and Gilbert,

Trina Byrne, and Emma Katus pointed for the visitors while Roisín Kelly, Ella Doran, and Kelly again made it 2-05 to 0-05.

Loretta Gilbert 1-03 in the next few minutes – the goal from the penalty spot – while the quality Claire Turner and swung over a minor for Carnew and Siofra Byrne increased the Tinahely lead.

Niamh Myers had looked potentially lethal in the early stages and she finally found her mark in the 29th minute when she bagged Carnew’s opening goal to give the home team a boost before the break.

There were changes aplenty on both teams over the course of the second half with Tinahely sending in Emily O’Reilly in place of Niamh Mutton in the goals and O’Reilly enjoyed a decent spell where she brought off some good saves including a straight-forward stop from a late penalty.

Carnew started the second half the brighter and started nibbling away at the Tinahely lead with points from Claire Turner, Lauren Burke, and Niamh Myers.

But Tinahely hit back with a Trina Byrne point and when Carnew lost Aoife Doran to injury and Loretta Gilbert rocked the Carnew net it was game over.

Tinahely: Niamh Mutton; Sarah Tyrrell, Áine O’Keeffe, Rebeca Kelly; Aisling Wintherbotham, Kate Hatton, Shannagh Goetaleen; Orla Kealy, Emma Katus; Dervla Byrne, Trina Byrne, Siofra Byrne; Mand Robson Green, Loretta Gilbert, Emma Doyle. Subs: Deirdre Byrne, Chloe Darcy, Emily O’Reilly.

Carnew: Liz Collins; Alison Smyth, Aoife Doran, Helen Hughes; Eabha Barnes, Máire Doran, Amanda Kidd; Claire Turner, Ella Doran; Leanne Kelly, Lauren Burke, Alanna Dagg; Toni Doran, Niamh Myers, Roisín Kelly. Subs: Vickie Mulhall, Sophie Doran, Amy Doran, Caitlin Hughes, Hollie Murphy.

Referee: Paddy Kehoe BRENDAN LAWRENCE THE tears on the faces of some of her colleagues when the league clash between Tinahely and Blessington finished last Sunday afternoon in Blessington will tell you all you need to know about the popularity of Knockananna native Aimee Maher to the close-knit family that is Tinahely Ladies GAA Club.

This was the first time that the majority of her friends at the club had seen the young footballer since her discharge from hospital after she went to war against a serious case of bacterial meningitis.

The 15-year-old woke one morning recently with a pain