Brilliant Blessington prove too hot to handle for visiting AGB

BLESSINGTON put on a brilliant display of high workrate, attacking football after overpowering AGB in this Senior Ladies football league match played in Blessington on Friday night last.

From the first whistle to the last, there was no let up as the Blues hit the ground running with some breathtaking football.

Molly Cullen got the scoreboard of the mark in the second minute for the homeside with a sweet point.

Shona O Connor raised a green flag, for the first major of the evening after great link up play with Molly Cullen.

The AGB defence were under constant pressure in the early stages as Blessington upped the pace.

Doireann Kavanagh broke down a good move by Blessington and soloed 40 meters upfield and laid of to Becky Birmingham who put Jessie McElheron through to point for AGB’s opening score in the tenth minute.

However, the homeside hit back with a point from Jess Brennan followed up with a smashing goal from Laura Allen to close out the opening quarter with the score reading 2-02 to 0-01.

Goalie Laura Rice had a powerful save from a Jess Brennan shot in the next attack.

Blessington were in flying form with some fine interlink play involving Molly Cullen, Amy Ryan and Shona O’Connor increasing the lead further.

Becky Birmingham took a shot from 40 meters out which cannoned down off the underside of the crossbar, everybody stopped momentarily, before the referee signalled a goal was scored, much to the annoyance of full-back Maura Reid who was dispatched to the bin for ten minutes for disputing the goal with the official.

Roisin Reilly followed up with a point from the resultant kickout for AGB, going into first half stoppage time.

However, the homeside tagged on another 1-01 before the halftime whistle sounded with the score now reading 3-06 to 1-02.

Blessington put the game beyond doubt in the opening ten minutes of the second period with a smashing goal from a mazy run by Shona O’Connor and points from Ellen Quinn and Laura Allen. Wing back Anna Vas was having a great game for Blessington, setting up wave after wave of attack’s for the homeside.

The Ellis girls and Jess Brennan never let up, as the Blues went into overdrive building up the score line.

Emma Furlong made a dashing run up the field and tagged on a point in the 50th minute for AGB.

The Blue machine just purred into overdrive for the final ten minutes after some great tenacious workrate from Molly Cullen, Jess Brennan, Shona O Connor and the Ellis’s, piling on the scores before the full-time whistle sounded.

Scorers - Blessington: Shona O’Connor 3-0, Róisn Ellis 2-0, Laura Allen 1-1, Jess Brennan 0-5, Molly Cullen 0-5, Amy ryan 0-1, Nicole Walsh 0-1, Emma Reid 0-1, Ellen Quinn 0-1.

AGB: Becky Bermingham 1-0, Jessica McElehron 0-1, Roisn O’Reilly 0-1, Emma Furlong 0-1.

Blessington: Kim Connors; Sarah Peppard, Maura Reid, Sophie Cronin; Anna Vas, Shauna Byrne, Emma Reid; Amy Ryan, Shona O’Connor; Jessica Brennan, Molly Cullen, Niamh Cullen; Ellen Quinn, Laura Allen, Nicole Walsh. Subs: Róisín Ellis, Niamh Ellis; Ellie McKeever; Sarah Bohan.

AGB: Laura Rice; Caoifhinn Kavanagh, Angelika Pyciak, Emer Kelly; Nicole Story, Doireann Kavanagh, Sarah Garrett; Emma Furlong, Orla Byrne; Katie Murphy, Orla Hayes, Róisín O’Reilly; Jessica McElheron, Becky Birmingham, Áine O’Reilly. Subs: Ciara Forde, Emily Mulhall, Zoe Takacs, Rebeccxa O’Sullivan, Casey young, Kayleigh Earls.