Pat’s power to deserved victory
ST. PATRICK’S made hay while the sun shone on Saturday and their reward was the U-14 ‘A’ Shield title.
They were enjoying a tit-for-tat battle with St. Nicholas in Bray but when one of the St. Nicholas player was sin-binned for a high tackle, Pat’s made their advantage count and they stormed to victory in the final quarter of an hour.
It had been very even up to that point and only a Georgia O’Connell goal separated the sides (1-5 0-5) when Pat’s gained a numerical advantage.
The Wicklow Town side didn’t waste their opportunity though as they ran in an unanswered 4-3 to romp to victory.
It was a tame and edgy start for both sides with only one point scored in the opening 10 minutes. The second score of the match would be that aforementioned goal from corner-forward O’Connell.
This saw St. Nicholas come alive and they sunk their first score almost immediately before the two sides exchanged points over the remaining 20 minutes in what was an unbelievably close affair.
Pat’s had a slender four-point advantage at the break which had been reduced to three points when St. Nicholas were reduced to 14 temporarily.
The response to this from Pat’s was both swift and devastating; Molly Sweeney and Kirsty Dunne had both found the net within five minutes.
Another point was tacked on
before Pat’s really turned on the style and smashed in three goals in a five-minute spell thanks to Kim Humby, Kayleigh Keogh and Aoife Caffery.
St. Patrick’s: Lexi Lefeure; Hope Donney, Eva Deane, Julie Phelan; Eabhashun Fleming, Leanne O’Neill, Nadia Lassri; Kayleigh Keogh, Kristy Dunne; Aoife Caffery, Molly Sweeney, Holly Corrigan; Georgia O’Connell, Lucy Rampersaud, Eabha Mooney. Subs: Christina Abbey, Kim Humby, Emer Kennedy, Niamh Kavanagh, Jessica Reynolds, Abbie O’Brien, Eva Rose Lawless, Ava Rawson.
St. Nicholas: Holly Wright; Erica Flynn, Abbie Cleary, Liadan Kelly; Aine Traynor, Ellen Berney, Cara Archbold; Katie Corrigan, Dolores Healy; Emily Tyrell, Jemma Carty, Sophie Dunne; Caoimhe Flood, Chloe Fadian, Sinead Flood. Subs: Rhianne Gaynor, Aoife Corrigan, Sophie Deering, Ciara Kenny, Emma Barber.