Eadestown reign in the rain to reach another Senior final
Gráinne Kenneally scores a goal for Eadestown during the win over Kilcullen during the Joe Mallon Motors Kildare LGFA SFC semi-final Photo: Aisling Hyland
Defending five in a row champions, Eadestown, qualified for yet another Joe Mallon Motors Kildare LGFA SFC Final when they had ten points to spare over a spirited and youthful Kilcullen team at a rain sodden Kilcullen on Tuesday night.
Guile and goals were instrumental in this victory for the Sky Blues with the guile enabling them to manage the game during Kilcullen’s late fightback and the goals coming at crucial times in this uncompromising game.
Two of the goals went to the defending champions captain, Gráinne Kenneally, one from play and one from the penalty spot and sandwiched between these was a green flag from former Kildare captain, Grace Clifford.
Eadestown played with the elements in the first half but it was Kilcullen who started the better, holding possession and forcing the visitors’ keeper, the returning Emma Sargent, to a goal line save from midfielder, Nanci Murphy’s effort in the second minute. Eadestown opened the scoring two minutes later when centre half back, Ruth Sargent, burst through to fire over. Eadestown pushed up on a Kilcullen kick out on seven minutes and when they forced the turnover Gráinne Kennelly was on hand to blast to Roisin Browne’s net for her and her side’s first goal. Scores were hard to come by as both defences were nothing if not dogged but Grace Clifford set up Kenneally for a point on 13 minutes and the lively Abaigh Cahill fired over a free for a foul on herself at the end of the first quarter.
Despite the promptings of the likes of midfielders, Molly Aspell and Nanci Murphy, centre half forward, Jayne Peacock and full forward Caoimhe Egan, Kilcullen found it hard to find the target and scored their only point of the half when Nanci Murphy set up Sally Murphy for the point in the 22nd minute and so the defending champions led 1-3 to 0-1 at the break.
Kilcullen needed a big start to the second half but they were hit with a major set back seconds after the restart when Clifford started and finished a move with a deft flick to the home net for Eadestown’s second goal on the night. By the end of the third quarter Eadestown had stretched their half time lead to eleven points with a Cahill point from play and two Kenneally points from frees from distance.
To their credit Kilcullen took the game to Eadestown in the final quarter and scored excellent points from Leah Tyrrell, Nanci Murphy and Ellen Coleman but any hope of a Rags revival was firmly quashed two minutes from time when Ruth Sargent burst through the home defence and was brought down for the penalty by Molly O’Loughlin. The full back was banished to the sinbin and Kenneally expertly dispatched the penalty. An injury time point from Kilcullen centre half back, Olivia Monahan, was but a consolation for the home side as it was the visitors who advanced to yet another SFC decider where they will meet St Laurence’s on 3 October in a repeat of last year’s final.
Emma Sargent; Maryann Ryan, Anne Marie Logue, Aine Ní Raghallaigh; Aine Mernagh, Ruth Sargent 0-1, Molly Lawlor; Laura Byrne, Hazel McLoughlin; Alannah Kelly, Grace Clifford 1-0, Jessica Harney; Tara Bedford, Gráinne Kenneally 2-3, (1-0 pen, 2fs), Abaigh Cahill 0-2 (1f) SUBS: Kate Murphy for Tara Bedford 45, Sophie Boyce for Alannah Kelly 58.
Roisin Browne; Ava Cronin, Molloy O’Loughlin, Eleanor Traynor; Ellie O’Toole, Olivia Monahan 0-1, Niamh Liston; Molly Aspell, Nanci Murphy 0-1; Ellen Coleman 0-1, Jayne Peacock, Sally Murphy 0-1; Amy Tyrrell, Caoimhe Egan, Leah Tyrrell 0-1, SUBSL Saoirse O’Brien Amy Tyrrell H/T, Aoife Griffith for Sally Murphy 40, Hannah Crowley for Ava Cronin 45, Laura Comerford for Eleanor Traynor 48
Billy O’Connell
