DOMINANT PAT’S PULL AWAY AFTER THE INTERVAL
ST Pat’s took a half to figure out a way past Bray Emmets and once they did they pulled away from their northern counterparts, having been behind by a point at half time, 1-02 to 4.
The wind, which was deceptively strong, played a major part in the win, in the second half Bray found it difficult to get the ball into the scoring zone.
St Pat’s pushed up on their kick outs and the pressure meant they usually won the ball back to set up an attack.
They were comfortably the better team with a more potent forward line.
Rioghna McGettigan led the attack from full forward and was very capable of winning the ball and winning frees.
Saoirse O’Reilly came on late in the first half and her speed would terrorise any defender. She chipped in with two points and set up a few more.
For Bray, Aoife Gillan continues to impress in defence with her outstanding tackling, on a number of occasions she stripped the ball from the attacker’s possession with ease.
In attack, Mikaela Shelley’s running forced Pat’s to concede a number of frees lest she kick a point or create a goal chance for a teammate. Those frees came to nothing though.
The first half never really got going, with both defences on top and scores hard to come by. The ball would get within 30 metres of each goal and either possession would be lost or the shot would be poor.
St Pat’s led by three points to two at the end of first quarter. Laura Butler scored the first point with a free for Bray before Sarah Delahunt replied when Rioghna McGettigan was fouled. McGettigan did well moments later to set up Jess Lyons to inch Pat’s ahead for the first time.
Bray responded through Orla O’Keefe following some good passing and then Pat’s retook the lead with another Delahunt free.
The teams went on a bit of a scoring drought then with both teams guilty of inaccuracy in front of goal.
Laura Butler broke that spell with a well finished goal and Pat’s could only muster another point for the rest of the half, Delahunt’s third free.
Pat’s had begun to assert their dominance against the wind though and it felt like a matter of time before the scoring dam broke. McGettigan flashed a goal bound shot barely wide while Laura Butler hit the post. They amassed six wides in total during the half.
Bray finished the half well however with a flurry of chances of their own that were also kicked wide.
The second half was a much more energetic affair and the players found their shooting boots at half time.
Saoirse O’Reilly and Aisling Hayden kicked early scores before county star Alanna Conroy galloped up the field to level the game for Bray.
Five minutes later Laura Manley got her first goal and Pat’s never looked back.
Niamh McGettigan had a good game and was a constant thorn in the Bray side with her interceptions and tackling. She raced to win a ball she shouldn’t have won and gave O’Reilly the ball. She found Manley who did the rest.
Conroy registered another score for Bray, almost a carbon copy of her first with a good run from midfield. Bray could only score once more, a Mikaela Shelley point in the 60th minute, while Pat’s kicked 2-06 in the final quarter.
Manley scored her second goal, more good play by O’Reilly, and then Delahunt, with three, Hayden, O’Reilly and Jess Lyons divided the six points between them to rack up a good score.
Lyons got the third goal with a shot that looped over Eadaoine Lenihan’s head in the Bray goal.
The shot was almost certainly meant to go over the bar but Lyons may of course insist otherwise.
Scorers – St Pat’s: Laura Manley 2-00; Sarah Delahunt (5f) 0-06; Jess Lyons 1-02; Aisling Hayden, Saoirse O’Reilly Jnr. 0-02 each.
Bray Emmets: Laura Butler (1f) 1-01; Alanna Conroy 0-02; Mikaela Shelley, Orla O’Keefe 0-01 each.
ST PATRICK’S: Jen Lyons; Sorcha Doyle, Saoirse O’Reilly Snr, Sarah Evans; Kate Hennessey, Zoe Armstrong, Rose Fagan; Niamh McGettigan, Sarah Delahunt; Lucy Dunne, Aisling Hayden, Laura Manley; Erynn O’Brien, Rioghna McGettigan, Jess Lyons. Sub: Saoirse O’Reilly Jnr for Erynn O’Brien (26 mins, inj.).
BRAY EMMETS: Eadaoine Lenihan; Emma Doyle, Alice Fitzgerald, Emily Devenney; Aoife Gillan, Shauna Douglas, Jane Butler; Una O’Grady, Alanna Conroy; Sinead Horgan, Mikaela Shelley, Orla O’Keefe; Shauna Ryan, Eve Murphy, Laura Butler. REFEREE: Barry Redmond