MANAGER OATES PRAISES EFFORT OF DRP PLAYERS
midfield – through the graft of Denise Regan and Caoimhe Connor – and with scores from five of their six starting forwards, it wasn’t as if they weren’t functioning. Defensively, Aimee Oates and Michelle McNamara stood out.
In a first-half that brought heavy rain, Drumcliffe-Rosses Point fell behind in the early stages and were lucky that Lauren O’Donnell, twice, missed goal opportunities. Salthill-Knocknacarra’s fierce press on Drumcliffe-Rosses Point kickouts meant that the north Sligo side regularly struggled to get out of their own half.
Three points down by the 13th minute, 0-5 to 0-2, Drumcliffe-Rosses Point at least got their fans going when a dazzling attack after nine minutes brought a point from Oda Carty after skilful foraging from Sinead Regan and Denise Regan.
Sinead Regan’s 15th minute goal, from a move in which Michelle McNamara and Maeve Casserly were each prominent, brought DrumcliffeRosses Point level for only the second time. Well-taken points by Rianne Smith and Oda Carty, the beaten finalists’ wing-forwards, put DrumcliffeRosses Point in front, 1-4 to 0-5, with 17 minutes on the clock.
But this advantage was only fleeting and an 18th minute goal from Alyssa Manley restored SalthillKnocknacarra’s lead in a first-half that saw them kick five wides. Drumcliffe-Rosses Point knew they had it all to do in the second-half and it could have been much worse at half-time – Drumcliffe-Rosses Point goalkeeper Roisin Grennan denied a certain goal after 22 minutes with a finger-tip save.
Best for DRP: Sinead Regan Drumcliffe-Rosses Point: Roisin
Grennan, Avril Clancy, Aimee Oates, Jayne McCormack, Isabella Henry, Michelle McNamara (c), Lorraine Oates, Denise Regan, Caoimhe Connor, Rianne Smith (0-3, 2f), Sinead Regan (1-2), Oda Carty (0-2), Maeve Casserly (0-2, 1f), Keela Scanlon (02), Katie Maguire
Subs used: Aoife McLaughlin, Aisling Ewing, Ruth Flanagan, Jasmine Dunleavy
Subs not used: Rachel Quigley, Eimear Colreavy, Alannah Gallagher, Grace Casserly, Lisa Morrow, Elaine Flanagan, Orlaith Furey, Megan Brady, Molly Brady, Riona Connor, Cathy Clarke Salthill-Knocknacarra (Galway): Laura Carroll, Kate Connaughton, Emma Madde, Orlaith de Bairead, Sarah Donnellan, Siobhan Divilly, Roisin Reddington, Zainab Rather, Ailbhe Finnerty (c) (0-1), Aoife Kelly (0-2), Lauren O’Donnell (1-4, 1f), Daisy O’Connell (0-1), Aoife Nash (0-2), Alyssa Manley (1-0), Laura Kelly (0-7, 3f)
Subs used: Aoife Mullen, Emelia Joyce, Meghan Mulligan
Referee: Gerard Canny (Mayo)
THERE was dejection, of course. But one got the sense that the Drumcliffe-Rosses Point players were already taking on board the lessons of last Sunday’s provincial final defeat as they slowly trudged off the pitch, shortly before SalthillKnocknacarra were presented with the Connacht LGFA Junior Club Championship Cup.
There were certainly no excuses from Drumcliffe-Rosses Point manager Tommy Oates. “They [Salthill-Knocknacarra] were probably the dominant team in the first-half but I think we were fired up for the secondhalf and we really showed what our mettle is made of.
“We have a very young team and I think SalthillKnocknacarra are just a little further down the road than us – on another day we could have got the breaks. We had a couple of goal chances and they just didn’t go in.”
He continued: “This is part of our team’s development. We won the county title and this [Connacht final] could be looked on as a bonus.
“Still, we tried to go as far as we could in Connacht. We will take this defeat as part of a learning curve. The players are disappointed but I think they should lift their heads up and be proud of their performance. “I thought the last goal was harsh on our players – I don’t think the scoreboard at the end reflected the effort we put in. “They players gave everything, as they have done all year, and
I’m so proud of them.” Drumcliffe-Rosses Point are in Sligo LGFA’s Intermediate grade next year where Oates hopes they can be a force. “This is a young team. We should have more players coming through [from Minor level] and I think we are a team on the up. It is a matter now that the group stays together.”
He added: “I told the players to feel sorry for themselves for half an hour, then park it and move on. Their season will not be defined by this result, but their progress will be defined by how they react to it.
“We have made huge progress this year and hopefully we can build on it.”
Oates’ management team throughout the season included Barry O’Sullivan, Tony Quigley, Rory Connor, Catriona Casserly, Emma Flanagan and Margaret Regan.
Meanwhile, two of SalthillKnocknacarra’s key players, midfielder and team captain Ailbhe Finnerty and centreforward Lauren O’Donnell, who was named Player of the Match, emphasised afterwards how much they rated DrumcliffeRosses Point. Finnerty, who said this final was the “toughest” game they played all year, said: “We were probably underdogs coming into this game – we had heard a lot about DrumcliffeRosses Point.
“They were outstanding and I think they are similar to us in that they have a lot of young players coming through and in the team.
“This year we won our firstever county title and, as a club and a team, we are on a journey.”
Salthill-Knocknacarra boss Donal O’Connell stated: “We got some late scores and it felt like it was much closer than the nine point difference. DrumcliffeRosses Point are serious opponents.”
The Galway city club have Ladies Football, camogie, Gaelic football and hurling
teams.