Tinahely Minors beat Pat’s to claim crown
Tinahely see off St Patrick’s after dramatic battle
A superb goal in each half from the outstanding Eimear O’Brien proved to be the fatal blows to a brave St Patrick’s challenge as Tinahely triumphed in the Minor ‘A’ ladies football final in Aughrim on Saturday morning last.
A dramatic and tense game, both sides produced some fine football on the soft turf of the county grounds with O’Brien’s majors, the first on the stroke of half-time to quash a St Pat’s revival and the second close to the end to push Tinahely too far ahead to be caught in the time remaining being the ultimate difference.
There were angry scenes on the sideline at various stages throughout this game.
Referee Cathy Forde issued three yellow cards and one red over the course of the 60 minutes, sending Tinahely’s Anna Lalor to the bin after 14, flashing a red at Siofra Byrne after 23, a yellow at Eimear O’Brien early in the second half before sending Holly McSorley of St Pat’s to the bin at the end of the third quarter.
However, despite having a numerical advantage for much of this game, St Patrick’s failed to reap any real benefit from the sinbinning and sending off other than boosting their defence. To their credit, Tinahely bounced back from the blows and drove on relentlessly to claim the spoils after a helter skelter battle.
‘High drama, high intensity, tough game, conditions were soggy, but, look, our girls have shown what their true ability is with half the team under 16 and available for the next two years and four girls moving on to the adult side. We’re looking good, and strong for the years ahead, and it’s a good backbone for the Senior team for the future,’ said Tinahely manager Declan O’Brien.
‘We didn’t they were (cards). We thought they were a little soft. But these things happen in the game.
‘On the sideline, we just got them back in around the ball to protect the goal, if you keep goals out you have a chance.
‘We always felt we could nick a goal at the same time, and we got the goal, my own daughter, Eimear O’Brien, got the goal before half-time which was a little icing at the time.
‘And then in the second half it was always going to be backs against the wall with a player down so we had to shape in and move a few positions, suffer on the inside line, as we had two players down at one stage in the second half, so scores weren’t that plentiful, but, look it, as the girls do, and we’ve seen it over the years with these girls from under-12, they have won every ‘A’ trophy since under-12, 14, 16, Minor.
‘They’re a brilliant bunch of girls and they deserve every credit they get, no matter what’s thrown at them, the sink, the whole lot there, they are what they are,’ he added.
Tinahely started superbly and had carved open a 0-5 to 0-0 lead after 14 minutes before losing Anna Lalor to the game’s first yellow card.
The points came from the boots of Eimear O’Brien (two frees), Alice Mulhall (two) and Aimee Maher before a foul on Sinead McGettigan cost Lalor ten minutes of action.
The impressive McGettigan got Pat’s off the mark with a fine score after a foul on Niamh Caffrey. Tinahely were applying serious pressure on the Pat’s side as they made their way up the field and they went 0-6 to 0-1 ahead thanks to a fine score from Eimear Mutton after 23.
Then Pat’s hit a purple patch, bagging three points on the trot, two from Luci Hobbs and the third from Niamh Caffrey to close to within two points and they were looking in a very positive place having been under the kosh for much of the first half and only trailing by two going into the halftime break.
But up steps Eimear O’Brien. A superb ball from Aimee Maher and O’Brien raced through the Pat’s defence before firing home past Amy Kavanagh for a huge uplifting score at a key time in the game.
Nicamh Caffrey pulled one back shortly after Eimear O’Brien had picked up her yellow card and Pat’s had closed to within two points moments later after scores from Jessica Lyons and Sinead McGettigan either side of the Wicklow Town side losing Holly McSorley to a yellow.
Tinahely were attacking where possible and hit the crossbar and notched up three quick wides before Eimear O’Brien fired over after savage work from Anna Lalor who was playing like a player with something to prove.
Jessica Lyons hit back with a point for Pat’s to make it 1-7 to 0-8 but Eimear O’Brien was determined to have the last say and she fired a missile to the roof of Amy Kavanagh’s net to dash any hopes of a Pat’s revival and secure a precious crown for the Tinahely Minors.
Scorers – Tinahely: Eimear O’Brien 2-3 (2f), Alice Mulhall 0-2, Aimee Maher 0-1, Eimear Mutton 0-1.
St Patrick’s: Sinead McGettigan 0-2 (1f), Luci Hobbs 0-2, Niamh Caffrey 0-2, Jessica Lyons 0-2.
TINAHELY: Shona Byrne; Abby Doyle, Caoimhe Murphy, Roisin Byrne; Jade
Shannon, Anna Lalor, Eimear Mutton; Aimee Maher, Aisling Winterbottom; Leaha Geragthy, Siofra Byrne, Eimear O’Brien; Niamh Mutton, Alice Mulhall, Eimear O’Sullivan. Subs: Kasey Byrne for Aisling Winterbottom, Laci Shannon for Niamh Mutton, Zoe Katus for Alice Mulhall. Not used: Maude Robinson Greene, Siobhan Mulhall, Niamh Byrne.
ST PATRICK’S: Amy Kavanagh; Ellen Griffin, Aoife Dunne, Chloe O’Donovan; Sophie Porter, Sarah Evans, Lucy Dunne; Jessica Lyons, Sinead McGettigan; Emer McNulty, Naoise O’Reilly, Jennifer Madden; Luci Hobbs, Niamh Caffrey, Holly McSorley. Subs: Sarah Carroll for Holly McSorley, Aoife Caffery for Jennifer Madden, Kirsty Dunne for Chloe O’ Donovan.