Adamstown girls were deserved winners on Tuesday last in St. Patrick’s Park when they outfought and outgunned Piercestown in the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Rackard League Roinn A girls’ football final. This truly was a top grade final with both teams displaying high fitness levels, speed, skills and tough tackling throughout. All over the field there were some intriguing battles, in the midfield in particular and also between both full back/full forward pairings, and this made for some interesting viewing.
Piercestown’s Aoife O’Connor opened the scoring with a neat finish through the middle but this was equally matched by Katie English’s effort at the other end of the field. Piercestown threatened the Adamstown goal early but time and time again the Adamstown full back line of Ellen Gill, Ella English and Caoimhe Curtis defended with aplomb. A brave block from half back Isobel English also denied a certain goal when Aoife O’Connor broke through at the ten minute mark. From then on, Adamstown kicked on and impressive midfielder Meadbh Wickham got a point from a 45 just before Ellen Duggan scored an important goal. Another Meadbh Wickham free brought the halftime scores to 1-3 to 0-1.
Adamstown continued their good form on the resumption when dangerous full forward Katie English hit a powerful shot that just about crept over the line in the Piercestown goalie’s hands. Katie then turned creator when she set up Sinéad Roche for her team’s third goal moments later, leaving Piercestown with a mountain to climb. The crossbar stopped another Adamstown goal as they continued to push forward.
It was Piercestown who finished the stronger however. Aoife O’Connor threatened the Adamstown goal with several attacking moves and was rewarded with a point for her efforts. Lauren McLoughlin followed suit and scored a wonder goal to put her team back in the hunt with ten minutes to go. Now playing deeper, Adamstown played some smart counter attacking football and Meadbh Wickham held her nerve on the frees to keep the scoreboard ticking over. These points proved to vital as Piercestown finished with a sublime Aoife O’Connor goal just before the final whistle but Adamstown had done just about enough to claim a first Roinn A title.
~Seán Óg Whelan
Adamstown: Lasairíona Stafford, Ellen Gill, Ella English, Caoimhe Curtis, Isobel English, Leah Furlong, Niamh English, Meadbh Wickham, Ellie Cloney, Ciara Mooney, Sinéad Roche, Ellen Duggan, Roisín Gill, Katie English, Niamh Furlong, Emily Davis, Caragh McDonald, Maeve O’Neill, Clodagh Crean
Piercestown: Rachel Doyle, Emma Barry, Louiza Donnelly, Heather O’Leary, Kate Barrett, Demi Byrne, Imogen Deas, Aoife O’Connor, Sinead Hegarty, Aoife Cullen, Isabelle Murray, Hollie Audsley, Megan Murray-Byrne, Lauren McLoughlin, Katie Kehoe, Isabelle Lett, Nessa Dunne, Jasmine Brennan, Jane Sinnott, Holly Rossiter, Sally Barrett, Hannah Philpott, Cara Smyth, Millie Murphy, Dara Kelly
