Goal-den touch proves decisive for Geraldines

GERALDINES ST KEVIN’S 4-7 0-10

THIS was another very tight game in all respects and the Kevin’s might well have claimed victory but for the intervention of the woodwork on four separate occasions.

There was a frantic start, with St Kevin’s breaking and Katie Matthews pointing from a Paula Murray pass in the first minute and Geraldines replying immediately with a goal from Roisin Soraghan following good work from Fionnuala Cafferty and Sandra Lynch to keep the move flowing.

Geraldines quickly followed up with a point from Ciara O’Connor after a quick interchange with Helen Ryan and Roisin Soraghan.

This fired the Kevin’s into action and they replied with points from their Louth duo of Susan Byrne and Paula Murray (free) in the next 10 minutes as both teams fought to take control of the game.

Geraldines failed to score again until the 12th minute when Emma Gartlan played a one-two with Fionnuala Cafferty and pointed from distance, but the Kevin’s took their chance to reply as Eleanor Smyth played the ball forward to Paula Murray who in turn found Susan Byrne bearing down on goal. Geraldines goalkeeper Alannah Finn brought off a fine diving save to Byrne’s shot, but her parried effort fell again to Byrne, with Finn happy to see her stabbed effort lift over the bar as the Kevin’s remained behind by a point instead of leading by one.

With scores hard to come by it was Geraldines who pointed next as Sandra Lynch combined with Roisin Soraghan to double their lead, and on twenty minutes Geraldines moved ahead with a fine goal by Sandra Lynch as she collected a loose ball on the edge of the square following a dangerous free kick by Grainne Finnegan.

The favour was returned as Lynch fed Finnegan to point a minute later, leaving the Geraldines with a two-goal advantage.

The Kevin’s were left to rue three attempts which had come back off the woodwork at this stage and were glad to see a pointed free from Susan Byrne in the 25th minute. Paula Murray added a further point a minute later, reducing the lead further, with Sandra Lynch replying immediately for Geraldines.

St Kevin’s finished the half stronger, with Susan Byrne unlucky to find her lob over Finn coming back off the base of the post, with Geraldines clearing the ensuing goalmouth scramble and the Kevins having to settle for a point from Aoife Gregory as referee Tommy McEntaggart blew for half-time with the score 2-5 to 0-7 in favour of Geraldines.

With both teams striving to gain the upper hand it took until the eighth minute of the second half for the first score, with Paula Murray pointing from a free and adding another point a minute later.

Geraldines’ first score of the half came from Fionnuala Cafferty who played a give and go with Helen Ryan from a forty five and inspired her team to action with a fine point from distance.

Geraldines closed out the game with two goals in quick succession, giving them a cushion of 4-6 to 0-9. Firstly, A good build-up from defence saw Sinead O’Keefe find Sandra Lynch on the twenty metre line and her flick found Roisin Soraghan in space, giving Cliodhna Duffy no chance as she drove the ball off the ground to the back of the net. Ciara Power won the resultant kick out and quickly fed Sandra Lynch who piled on the agony with another goal.

The game inevitably petered out after that. Geraldines’ final score came from the boot of Fionnuala Cafferty after sterling play from Eva Hoey and Grainne Finnegan and the Kevin’s replied with a free converted by Paula Murray.

GERALDINES: Alannah Finn, Sinead O’Keefe, Ciara Power (Victoria Prendergast), Eilis Hand, Amy O’Donoghue (Nina Slowey), Abbi O’Connor (Katie Todd), Megan Scully, Gemma McCrave, Helen Ryan, Emma Gartlan 0-1, Ciara O’Connor 0-1, Grainne Finnegan 0-1, Fionnuala Cafferty 0-2, Sandra Lynch 2-2 (Eva Hoey), Roisin Soraghan 2-0 (Lorna Moriarty).