The Sligo Champion

Harps and Gaels U16 girls fight hard in tight final

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EASTERN HARPS 2-8 SHAMROCK GAELS 3-11

up the field with Zoe Stafford finishing off the attack with a fine point. The sides traded possession for a couple of minutes with Shamrock Gaels’ Eala McDermott scoring a point to level up the match. However, the sides weren’t level for long. Nine minutes in Harps’ Lisa Powell finished off a fantastic run with a sweetly struck goal. Harps didn’t stop there, only a minute later Maeve Molloy sent the ball into the back of the Shamrock Gaels’ net to finish off a superb team effort involving Aoife Mitchell, Amy McGovern, Bláithin McDonnell and Róisín Molloy. A minute later Harps were awarded a penalty. Unfortunat­ely, the well struck effort was denied by the post. Shamrock Gaels were in need of a score. That score was provided by the Gaels’ captain Erin Mullaney’s fine effort. For a period of 13 minutes Harps dominated possession, with Eimear Conlon working tirelessly in midfield, but failed to convert their chances. Eventually, in the 26th minute, Shamrock Gaels ended the period of missed opportunit­ies with Jade Lyons securing her first score of the match. Momentum was slowly shifting into Shamrock Gaels’ favour. Erin Mullaney and Nadine Hargadon both slotted over points to leave the Harps leading by only 2 points heading into additional time at the end of the first half. The last action of the half saw Harps win a second penalty. Once again Harps’ effort was unsuccessf­ul, this time denied by a great save by the Gaels’ keeper, Meabh McDermott. Four minutes into the second half, Nadine Har- gadon split the posts with a fine effort. Harps got some relief when Zoe Stafford scored the game’s first pointed free & the same player followed this 2 minutes later with a beautiful point from play. The next passage of play saw Harps keeper, Edel Henry, who was excellent throughout, make two fantastic saves to deny Shamrock Gaels. Once again, the Harps girls worked the ball up the field with great effort from Ciara O’Connor, Orlaith Connolly and Emma Stephenson. The attack was finished with Roisín Molloy’s first point of the match and this was soon followed by her second point three minutes later. Erin Mullaney hit the back of the net for Gaels’ first goal of the match, to cut Harps’ lead to 2 points. This lead was reduced to 1 point when Mullaney scored again to increase her tally to 1:03. The 53rd minute would bring a dramatic turn of events to the game when Harps’ were reduced to 12 players when referee Des Henry brandished a yellow card. However, Zoe Stafford would bring some relief to Harps team as she split the posts with another splendid free kick. The sides traded wides until the 58th minute when Ceili Faughnan got her first point of the match. Gaels then got a break when Jade Lyons long range point effort dropped in under the crossbar to put Gaels 3 points ahead. Things would go from bad to worse for Harps when Ceili Faughnan blasted home Gaels third goal. Zoe Stafford slotted over the last score of the game, her 5th point making her Harps top scorer. EASTERN HARPS: Edel Henry, Rachel Hannon, Ciara O’Connor, Aoife Mitchell, Emma Stephenson, Orlaith Connolly, Lisa Powell, Eimear Conlon, Amy McGovern, Róisín Molloy, Zoe Stafford, Maeve Molloy, Bláithín McDonnell, Cushla Cosgrove, Aisling Dorrian, Alyx Cassidy, Aimee Lyons, Ailish Duggan, Ciara Hannon, Emily Falkus, Rebekah Murray, Leanne McGowan, Katie McGowan. SHAMROCK GAELS: Meabh McDermott, Ellie McDermott, Laoise King, Isobel Clark, Chloe McTiernan, Amy Healy, Eala McDermott, Jade Lyons, Ceili Faughnan, Erin Mullaney, Jane Benson, Makayla McLoughlin, Nadine Hargadon, Leah Monaghan, Aine Kearns, Danielle McGovern, Ana McCann, Mia O’Regan, Jessica Crowley, Grace O’Carroll, Kate Brehony, Aoife Murphy, Aine Brennan.

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