Clontarf prove too strong
CLONTARF (D) TINAHELY 8-7 3-10
THE curtain came down on the Leinster championship season for our Tinahely team in a dramatic fashion at a sunny Fingallian’s pitch in the north Dublin suburb of Swords.
Both these teams harboured serious ambitions of victory not only in last Sunday’s semi final but in the overall Leinster Intermediate Club Championship - a place in the final for which the victors would qualify.
Clontarf started the sprightlier and their lively forward division had 1-2 on the boards before Tinahely got into their stride.
A fine move resulted in a goal for Tinahely and the match was back at all square after further points by Loretta Gilbert and Rachel Byrne.
However, the Clontarf forwards were finding too much space in the south Wicklow side’s defence and it was no surprise when Siobhan Kileen, an Irish soccer international, scored a brace of goals to give the Clontarf side a lead they never relinquished.
Killeen’s two goals were carbon copies of each other when rather than fire the ball she adroitly placed the ball out of reach of the clutches of Tinahely’s netminder Shauna Bermingham.
Tinahely in fairness continued to push forward and their efforts were rewarded by a fine goal of their own finished with aplomb to the Clontarf net by Aine Byrne. Thus when the half was brought to a close by referee Jonathan Murphy from Carlow the score showed a deficit of 8 points with Clontarf leading by 5-6 to 2-7.
Tinahely needed a quick score and it came from the boot of Loretta Gilbert and suddenly it seemed that despite not playing at their best Tinahely had weathered the storm and the lead was down to five points.
But the next 10 minutes turned the game as first Killeen completed her hat-trick and then Caoimhe O’Gorman scored further goals and despite everything that Tinahely could throw at Clontarf the burden of the concession of goals proved too much for our champions.
Two really fine teams had battled throughout a great game out but it was the Dublin champions who moved on to the final where they will meet Naomh Ciarain from Offaly and there is no doubt that the Offaly side will have their work cut out to overcome a talented Clontarf side.
On the Tinahely side, Loretta Gilbert, Emily Mulhall, Aoife Gorman, Aimee Maher and Aine Byrne were the pick of the Wicklow side who just couldn’t overcome the concession of those eight goals.
We salute our champions and say well done to Tinahely on coming so far in Leinster and representing our county so well. They will regroup no doubt and come back again next year in the hope of further glory.
Scorers for Tinahely: Loretta Gilbert 2-02, Aine Byrne 1-00, Sarah Byrne 0-02, Laura Hogan 0-02, Rachel Byrne 0-02, Ciara Byrne 0-01, Jackie Kinch 0-01.
Tinahely: Shauna Bermingham, Ciara Stokes, Sarah Hogan, Emily Hadden, Aimee Maher, Jessie Nolan Byrne, Emily Mulhall, Jackie Kinch, Aoife O’Gorman, Aine Byrne, Sarah Byrne, Ciara Byrne, Rachel Byrne, Loretta Gilbert, Laura Hogan.