Gallant girls got the better of Rathnure
THE STANDARD was high in the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Rackard League Roinn 'C' county football final where spectators saw Blackwater and Rathnure push each other to their limits in a bid to land the title.
Rathnure were the first to get off the mark when Nora Higgins won and converted a free in front of the Blackwater goal, but for the opening 20 minutes it was Blackwater who went on to take the upper hand.
In the fourth minute, Emma Lynch sent a longrange free floating into the square which fortunately enough landed in the back of the Rathnure net. Blackwater then continued to send in plenty of ball to their forwards and the writing looked to be on the wall for Rathnure who were being troubled by busy attackers Fiona Kelly and Marie Sutton.
To give them their credit though, Rathnure were not going to give scores away easily and it took a good Jane Purcell point to eventually break their defence. Jane then began another great move moments later when she carried and passed to Katie Roche who in turn brilliantly set up Marie Sutton for a close-range finish to the back of the net.
When Emma Berry put over a free in the 20th minute to put the scores at 2-2 to 0-1, it did not look good for Rathnure, but somehow they rallied and clawed their way back into the game just before half-time.
Nora Higgins scored a wonderful goal when she whacked in a low and hard free that slipped right under the crossbar, and she almost repeated the trick soon after when another effort clipped the crossbar and went over to bring the half-time scores to 2-2 to 1-2.
Rathnure emerged for the second-half a much more confident side and the game ebbed and flowed at a great pace as both teams gave their all. Mary Kate Doyle for Rathnure began to trouble the Blackwater defence with her speed, and the Rathnure defence was firmly on top with players such as Eva Mooney and Aisling Breen playing at their best.
In the eighth minute, Blackwater got the first score of the half when Emma Berry sent over another well-taken free, and Rathnure responded with a Nora Higgins point from play.
Emma Rath confidently clipped over a free from out the field to extend the lead to four points before the score of the game came through Blackwater midfielder Emma Berry who soloed a considerable distance, shot from long-range and lobbed the netminder for Blackwater's third goal. Almost immediately after, she then set up a Marie Sutton point to bring the scores to a comfortable 3-5 to 1-3.
Stubborn Rathnure simply would not give up however and went on to raise their game further for the remaining ten minutes. They got the goal they deserved in the closing moments through Amy Cahill who got her toe on the end of a bouncing ball in the Blackwater square.
Even though the game finished with a respectable 3-5 to 2-3 scoreline, it still did not reflect how hard Blackwater had to work to win this final, and huge credit must be given to both sets of girls for their efforts in creating a tense and enjoyable final.
Blackwater: Moya Fortune, Gabrielle Martin, Fiona Bernarius, Lisa Tyrell, Isobel Carroll, Emma Rath, Ciara Dixon, Emma Berry, Jane Purcell, Fiona Kelly, Katie Roche, Marie Sutton, Amy White, Leah Rossiter, Aisling Murphy, Megan Flanagan, Siobhán Malanowski, Rose Donoghue, Tashana Hoy, Shauna Murphy, Laura Cash, Amy Kelly, Rebecca Moran, Florence Healy, Caitlin Byrne.
Rathnure: Tara Murphy, Jackie Barron, Amy Cahill, Lillian O'Connor, Eva Mooney, Aisling Breen, Nora Higgins, Katie Lennon, Ciara Kehoe, Aine Moore, Shauna O'Leary, Mary Kate Doyle, Fiona Guiney, Kellie Byrne, Sophie Roche, Amy Foley, Ella Lyng.