Baltinglass hit Emmets for six BALTINGLASS BRAY EMMETS
at Old Conna, Bray 6-06 1-02
BALTINGLASS remained in cruise control as they got their championship campaign off to a flying start at the expense of a plucky Bray Emmets side.
Their ability to find the net proved to be a massive difference as Ciara O’Brien, Hannah McHugh and Nicola Sinnott landed six goals between them on a very hot evening in the fantastic Old Conna facilities.
Balto had asserted their dominance by the interval and it was hard to see Bray mounting a comeback to overhaul a nine-point lead but they did at least manage the consolation of a Emily Riddell goal to lift their spirits in a second period that saw them refuse to throw in the towel.
It was Ciara O’Brien who grabbed most of the plaudits and deservedly so as she finished the day with a tally of 3-1. Hanna McHugh wasn’t far behind her with 2-1, while Nicola Sinnott recorded 1-3.
Katie Edwards completed the scoring with a point.
The race appeared to be all but run in the early stages of the second period as Baltinglass continously tested Emmets goalkeeper Caoimhe Hardiman.
She passed the first test of the second period as she slapped away Meghan Keogh’s low shot and a comeback briefly appeared to be on the cards when Bray midfielder Emily Riddell claimed Caitriona Timmins’ kick-out and shrugged off two defenders before sending the ball screeching into the net.
That left the gap at five points but sadly it would be the last score that the home side could muster and the rest of the action all took place in and around the Emmets goal.
Chloe O’Neill’s shot dropped short and Hardiman got a decent fist to it but it fell to O’Brien who made no mistake.
A sudden injection of pace from Kubart Matonn opened up the Bray defence in the 53rd minute and she laid the ball off to O’Brien who expertly did the rest to raise the sixth and final green flag of the evening.
Baltinglass may have been in first gear here but their wide count was very high and they will need to be more clinical if they want to proceed to the latter stages of this competition.
With that said, Ciara O’Brien was momentarily the unluckiest woman in Ireland when she scooped up the loose ball from a Hardiman save only to smash the ball off the crossbar. She collected the rebound and was all set to sink her fourth goal until Bray full-back Eileen Henley denied with her some outstanding defending.
Bray Emmets: Emily Riddell 1-1, Emily Cahill 0-1.
Baltinglass: Ciara O’Brien 3-1, Hannah McHugh 2-1, Nicola Sinnott 1-3, Katie Edwards 0-1.
Caoimhe Hardiman; Shauna O’Kelly, Eileen Henley, Joanne O’Sullivan; Saoirse Canavan, Aisling McCabe, Amy Butler; Emily Riddell, Emily Cahill; Aine Clarke, Caoimhe Byrne; Lucy Callaly, Bernie Nesbitt, Orla Downey.
Scorers - BRAY EMMETS: BALTINGLASS:
Caitriona Timmins; Niamh O’Brien, Ciara Lawlor, Molly Kennedy; Leah Sheridan, Niamh Oliver, Emma Fleming; Meghan Keogh, Emily Hannafin; Chloe O’Neill, Katie Edwards, Hannah McHugh; Katie Murtagh, Nicole Sinnott, Ciara O’Brien.
VENUE:
Old Conna, Bray.