Tinahely girls come
TINAHELY ST PATRICK’S 2-09 0-11
TINAHELY came through a mighty tough battle with St Pat’s to claim the Senior ladies football title for the third year in a row and sixth time in seven years.
It was far from easy going for the women from the south and in the end goals from Sarah Byrne and Aoife Gorman in the final 15 minutes proved to be the difference.
Pat’s, who were appearing in their first ever Senior ladies final, put in a great team display and never stopped trying for the 60 minutes.
They battled brilliantly in defence and the fact that they limited what had been a hugely prolific Tinahely forward line to just 11 scores is a testament to their disciplined tackling and harrying of the Tinahely women throughout the field.
The first goal was quite fortuitous, as it was going wide before taking a huge deflection, and had they taken a few of their missed chances it could easily have gone the other way.
In the end though, Tinahely’s big day experience just about swung it for them and big plays in the final quarter from the likes of Jackie Kinch, Ciara Byrne, Emily Hadden and Aoife Gorman saw them over the line.
On what was a damp and overcast evening but with little wind it was Pat’s who were quickest out of the blocks and took the lead early on as their captain Sarah Delahunt converted a difficult free on the right side of the 21. Tinahely quickly responded with Rachel Byrne hitting a trade mark score after arcing in from right to left to bisect the posts.
Pat’s settled the quickest though and it was clear from an early stage that Tinahely were going to have to work hard to open up the Wicklow town rearguard as the likes of Saoirse O’Reilly and Áine Cahill put in some great tackles.
Pat’s hit the next two scores through Sinéad McGettigan but once more Tinahely clawed their way back level as firstly Jackie Kinch won a ball she had no right to before swivelling and shooting and then Rachel Byrne got another point very similar to her first after 18 minutes.
Tinahely hit a good spell for the remainder of the half to go into the break with a two point lead as Laura Hogan and Ciara Byrne added points but it was very evident that Pat’s were well in the game and there was a sense that Tinahely would have to up their game to put the first time finalists away in the second half.
Tinahely were edging affairs in the middle where Kinch, Aoife Gorman and Jessie Byrne were winning good possession and driving forward but when Pat’s did win it they looked to cause Tinahely serious headaches inside.
Laura Manley was carrying well from wing forward but inside Clodagh Fox was hugely impressive and she had the Tinahely defenders dizzy as she jinked and twisted her way towards goal numerous times.
Once more Pat’s were sharper upon the restart and they kicked the opening two scores to bring the sides level for the third time. Full forward Ríoghna McGettigan stepped inside and hit a peach off her left before captain Delahunt hit a monstrous point on the right side.
Aoife Gorman received a yellow card and ten minutes in the sin bin as she tackled high on Aisling Hayden as she came running through. Delahunt pointed the resultant free to put Pat’s back in front and with twenty minutes still to play it looked like it might be a crucial turning point.
But credit to Tinahely who upped their game with a woman less for ten minutes. Emily Hadden and Jessie Byrne combined well and the ball eventually found its way to Loreta Gilbert for the levelling score.
Ciara Byrne then hit one of the scores of the game after an inspirational tackle and run from Jackie Kinch from defence.
Then came the first of the two crucial goals. Laura Hogan’s free from the right dropped short around the square and bounced around before finding its way to the arms of Sarah Byrne.
She took aim from 12 yards and was somewhat lucky to see her rasping shot deflected into the Pat’s net as it was going well wide. You earn your luck though and Tinahely now had a four-point lead.
Credit must go to Pat’s as they could’ve easily dropped the heads in the final ten minutes but they battled on. Clodagh Fox hit a beauty almost immediately after the goal and both she and McGettigan followed it up to leave the minimum in it with five minutes to play, 1-9 to 0-11 in Tinahely’s favour.
Pat’s missed a pair of chances to level it and then in the 58th minute Tinahely scored the second and decisive goal as Aoife Gorman tore through and despite a brilliant save by the foot of Jennifer Lyons the ball sat up and Gorman duly obliged to palm it into the onion bag.
Once more Pat’s kept fighting and but for an Emily Hadden interception and another near miss on goal they could’ve set up a frantic finish. But in the end it was Tinahely’s day as Niamh Kenny lifted the trophy a loft and they completed a historic Senior and Intermediate double to crown a great day in the clubs history.
Scorers - Tinahely: Aoife Gorman 1-1, Sarah Byrne 1-0, Ciara Byrne 0-2, Laura Hogan 0-2 (0-1 F), Rachel Byrne 0-2, Loretta Gilbert 0-1, Jackie Kinch 0-1.
St Pat’s: Sinéad McGettigan 0-4 (0-2 F), Sarah Delahunt 0-3 (0-1 F), Clodagh Fox 0-3, Ríoghna McGettigan 0-1.