Goal-hungry Gers in seventh heaven
7-11 1-6
GERALDINES Ladies got off to a flying start in their 2017 League campaign with a strong performance in very soft conditions in McGeough Park on Sunday morning.
Both teams were short in squad numbers for a variety of reasons on this opening day of the season but the players in attendance gave of their best in an open entertaining game.
The Geraldines were first off the mark with a point from Rebecca Carr in the opening minute with the Brides responding immediately with a point of their own and they took the lead a minute later in a frenetic opening session.
The game settled with both defences holding their own until Lorna Moriarty found the back of the net to swing the game in the Geraldines favour in the seventh minute. It took another five minutes before another score came with Helen Ryan pointing for the Geraldines as they took charge with Vicki Prendergast capitalising to rattle the net as the ball came back off the crossbar from a Lauren McFaul free. Aine Lynch then added to the score with an immediate reply from the Brides with a point in the seventeenth minute. The defences then took centre stage for the next eight minutes with both teams showing good attitude in their efforts to take charge. The Geraldines were first to score again with points from Andrea Lennon and Rebecca Carr (2) as the half drew to a close. The Brides replied with a point in the closing minute before Andrea Lennon lobbed the Brides goalkeeper from an acute angle to leave the Geraldines with a comprehensive half time lead of 3-06 to 0-04.
The second half started in explosive fashion with Rebecca Carr winning the ball from the throw in and advancing on the Brides goal. A hand pass to Emma Gartlan on the thirteen metre line and the ball was immediately despatched to the Brides net. With the wind at their backs the Geraldines laid siege in the Brides half and added a point from a free taken by Lorna Moriarty followed by a goal from Aine Lynch in the seventh minute. Another point for Gartlan and a goal from Gemma McCrave in the twelfth minute settled the game as a contest with Roisin Soraghan coming into the action and adding a point followed by a goal in the fifteenth minute.
The Brides, to their credit never gave in and with pride at stake they dug in and brought the game to the Geraldines approaching the mid point of the second half. They were rewarded with two points and a goal from Aimee McNally who was well placed as the ball rebounded off the bar. Roisin Soraghan and Abbi O’Connor added the final two points for the Geraldines as, with both sides tiring in the heavy conditions, the final ten minutes turned into a battle of the defences. A final score of 7-11 to 1-06 flattered the Geraldines in a well contested encounter, with fitness and the heavy conditions having a large say in the teams’ first competitive matches of the season.