No stopping An Tochar!
Roundwood girls rejoice
AN TOCHAR enjoyed a straightforward march to U-14 ‘B’ Shield glory on Saturday against a spirited Blessington side.
Abby Magee, Niamh Gorman and Caoimhe Fagan chipped in with two goals apiece as the young women from Roundwood racked up nine green flags on their way to victory.
It took less than 30 seconds for An Tochar to register their first score as midfielder Gorman got the final touch to the ball as it bobbled around inside the square.
By the second minute, the post came to Blessington’s rescue while Chloe Kinsella also saved well from a Fagan shot.
Lesser sides may have thrown in the towel under such pressure but Blessington stuck to their guns and there was some brilliant individual moments of defending throughout their team.
Aimee Byrne and Eva Doyle knocked over the first two points of the contest in quick succession before the contest’s second goal arrived. A long, testing ball was capably slapped away by Chloe Kinsella but unfortunately for Blesso, Niamh Tierney was in the right position to fire in the loose ball.
After a quarter of an hour, Blessington got off the mark as strong-running midfielder Aisling Brennan sent a shot sailing over the crossbar.
The third goal of the day belonged to the unstoppable force that is Abby Magee. One marker had no chance of stopping her and even five may have struggled as she charged through the Blessington defence before driving it to the net.
Caoimhe Fagan was desperately unlucky not to add her side’s fourth goal as her attempt for a point dropped short and struck the underside of the crossbar before being scrambled away by Kinsella.
Doyle, Magee and Tierney tacked on a point apiece before Magee took the bull by the horns again embarked on another powerful charge that resulted in her second goal of the afternoon.
Blessington would have the last say in the first half as some neat footwork and a neat finish from Leila Shannon saw her make the slightest of dents in An Tochar’s 15-point lead.
Unfortunately for Blesso, An Tochar did not take their foot of the gas in the second period. With just 12 seconds on the clock, Caoimhe Fagan practically walked in her side’s fifth goal.
Number six arrived two minutes later courtesy of Mackenzie Murphy and their tally increased to 7-5 when Fagan saw her inital shot blocked but she scooped up the rebound and dispatched it to the net.
Leila Shannon knocked over Blessington’s third point but the goals wouldn’t stop at the other end and Niamh Gorman’s drive from distance was just beyond the fingertips of Kinsella in the Blesso goal.
Midway through the second half, Eva Doyle took her tally to 1-3 with her first goal and Blessington so nearly raised their first green flag through Amy Hopkins but the attacker was crowded out of it by a sea of An Tochar defenders and her shot dropped wide.
Blessington would find a way pass Jess Brady twice in a matter of minutes! Jane Johnson was first to find the net and this was quickly followed by Aisling Brennan who was the only one to read the bounce of the ball correctly and she profitted as she fired home.
Ellemaire Fanning and Eva Doyle would send over the final two scores of the contest to round off a fine performance in a very sporting match.
Scorers - An Tochar: Abby Magee 2-1, Niamh Gorman 2-0, Caoimhe Fagan 2-0, Eva Doyle 1-3, Niamh Tierney 1-1, Mackenzie Murphy 1-0, Aimee Byrne 0-1, Ellemarie Fanning 0-1.
Blessington: Aisling Brennan 1-1, Jane Johnson 1-0, Leila Shannon 0-2 (1F).
An Tochar: Jess Brady; Niaobh Concagh, Emma Fegan, Erin Brady; Tess Ryle, Hannah Kelly, Alison O’Toole; Abby Magee, Niamh Gorman; Eva Doyle, Mackenzie Murphy, Niamh Tierney; Aimee Byrne, Caoimhe Fagan, Kerrie Langrell. Subs: Alannah Delamere, Cora Dunne, Ellemarie Fanning, Moya Kelly, Alannah McHugh, Emma Molloy, Sadhbh Murphy, Kaci Turner, Orla Fee.
Blessington: Chloe Kinsella; Holly Campion, Emma Stynes, Seana Ferris; Holly Moody, Alannah Shannon; Erin McMahon, Aisling Brennan; Millie Barrett, Leila Shannon, Caelainn Phipps; Amy Hopkins, Jane Johnson, Anna Carylan. Subs: Roisin Murphy, Aoife O’Rourke.