Kildare girls crowned Galway Cup champions

The future has never looked so bright for girls’ soccer in Kildare after the KDUL 2013 team captured the coveted Galway Cup. Under the leadership of coaches, Greg Curran, Juliette Curran and Sophie Doheny, Kildare were crowned champions after an unbeaten run of four wins and one draw – all without conceding a goal.

The Galway Cup consists of area and district league teams from around Ireland, and is played concurrently with the Salthill Sisters Cup, a competition which includes teams such as Shelbourne, Sligo Rovers and even Liverpool.

They began their campaign with scoreless draw against Cavan/Monaghan before a hat-trick from Isibeal Keaveney and a brace from Maggie Holton secured a 5-0 win over Claremorris.

Kildare topped Group B with a 2-0 win over Limerick Desmond courtesy of a second brace from Holton. That set up a semi-final against Roscommon, where an outstanding performance saw Kildare ease to a 4-0 win, with goals from Amelia Peciulyte, Caithlin Kelly, Keaveney (her fourth of the Cup) and top-scorer, Holton (her fifth of the Cup).

The final presented a rematch with Cavan/Monaghan, where Kelly and Kate Gallagher each hit the net to cement a famous 2-0 victory, before Player of the Match and Kildare captain Elsie Cully got her hands on the Cup.

Speaking to The Kildare Nationalist, Head Coach Greg Curran heaped praise on the captain, who shared the distinction of Coach’s Player of the Tournament with her centre-back partner, Hannah O’Keeffe.

“Elsie is a born a born leader and a born winner. Captain fantastic. We picked her as captain last year and she's grown into the role - she made a clearance off the line when we were 1-0 up (in the final), and the way she’s marshalling the back line is outstanding,” he said.

“We were leaking goals a little bit at the back all season, so we moved Hannah O'Keeffe in there from full back to play alongside Elsie, just to stabilise the back line, and she has gone to the next level as a centre half.” 

Curran also spoke highly of goalscorers, saying. “Maggie (Holton) is a dynamite forward; she terrorises centre halves. And then Isibeal (Keaveney) in midfield, as well as the goals she got, she set up a good few assists as well.

“Kate Gallagher popped up with a goal in the final. She should have scored twice against Cavan in the first round, so we just had a chat with her about her positioning and finishing, and she was in the exact same position as before, but this time she finished it.

“All the players chipped in at some stage, like Caithlin Kelly; she got the second goal against Cavan/Monaghan when it was very, very close - she's a lethal finisher when she gets in the right position and she has that little bit of belief. Our goalkeeper, Ella Berney, was magnificent; Roisin McGonagall was one of our centre-halves and we moved her into the six, and she was brilliant as well.

“It was all down to the players. They were brilliant from the time we got down there. They were a credit to their parents and their clubs, how they handled themselves and how they represented their county. They were brilliant.” 

KILDARE: Ella Berney GK (Newbridge Utd), Lucy O’Brien-Scannell GK (Kilcock), Elsie Cully CB (Rathanghan) {Captain}, Bella Kinnear CB (Naas), Hannah O'Keffee CB (Newbridge Utd), Faye O’Neill CB (Naas), Alexandra Brereton FB (Naas), Amy Hedderman LB (Kilcock), Rosie McDaid FB (Naas), Roisin Ni Mhongain DMF (Sallins), Olivia Flanagan MF (Sallins), Jessica Doheny RW (Sallins), Kate Gallagher LW (Naas), Isibeal Keaveney AMF (Moon), Lucy Sheehy RF (Newbridge Utd), Hannah Sargent LF (BBC Utd), Amelia Peciulyte CF (Naas), Caithlin Kelly CF (Moon), Maggie Holton CF (BBC Utd).