Cooley and Gers make final date

COOLEY KICKHAMS ST. MOCHTA’S 0-11 1-6

COOLEY Kickhams will contest this year’s Senior Championship Final for only the second time since 2007 after a hard fought win over St. Mochta’s played in a bitterly cold Kilkerley on Sunday morning.

Both sides willingness to run the ball at every opportunity contributed to a very entertaining game despite the very blustery conditions.

Despite playing against the strong breeze Cooley were first to score courtesy of a well taken point by midfielder Siobhain McDonald after two minutes.

Just two minutes later Mochta’s replied as Eimear Byrne found the net after a superb run her brilliant low shot giving Cooley keeper Sinead Rice no chance. Kickhams created a couple of chances of their own but efforts from Lauren Boyle from Niamh Rice dropped short with the wind being a factor

The Louth Village side added further points from Caitlin Curley, Christine Carolan and Aoife Byrne leaving them 1.04 to 0.03 in front in the 28th minute.

Indeed their lead might have been greater as Eimear Byrne was so unlucky to see her rasping shot come back off the crossbar

Just as the game seemed to be drifting away from the peninsula side Niamh Rice and Lauren Boyle their star attacking duo hit two vital points just before the break to reduce the defecit to 1.4 to 0.5 at the interval.

After Niamh Rice and Emma Quinn swapped points shortly after the re-start, it was Mochta’s turn to be thankful for the the intervention of the woodwork as rising star Niamh Rice’s goal bound shot was kept out by the post.

Mochta’s chances of a final appearance were then dealt a major blow in the forty second minute when the influential Aoife Byrne