Down Ladies Junior Championship Final
Kilcoo 2-10 Rostrevor 6-02
Down Ladies Junior Championship Final
Downpatrick RGU at 3pm – Sunday
2nd September
Kilcoo 2-10 Rostrevor 6-02
The Rostrevor Ladies team survived a
last minute scare to clinch their first
Ladies Junior Championship title. Playing
in front of a bumper crowd in Downpatrick,
a determined Kilcoo side pushed Rostrevor
to the end, scoring a goal and hitting
the post with minutes to go but the
reds recovered their composure to win
by four, delighting their many fans.
Kilcoo were first
to get off the mark, with a point from
nippy half forward Kylie Doherty. Rostrevor
equalled matters quite quickly with
an excellent score from in front of
the posts from Natashya Daryaie. That
was to be their only score of the half,
a fact that mattered little as they
went on a goal scoring run. Goals from
former Down All Ireland winner Brenda
Russell and corner forward Aisling McGeough
gave them the upper hand although Kilcoo
did respond well with a trio of scores
from midfielder Leon Doherty, who notched
up an impressive 1-3 in the first half.
With half time approaching, Rostrevor’s
Aisling McGeough popped up in front
of goal to fire the ball into the top
left hand corner. The Rostrevor score
sheet was propped up well by their back
line, particularly full back Teresa
Parr who made two goal saving blocks
in the half, and Danielle Sherry who
held the line well from half back. Half
time, Kilcoo 1-6 Rostrvevor 4-1
It was the reds who
came out of the blocks quicker in the
second half. From the throw in, Carina
Gannon found her midfield partner Rosie
Markey who hit a great through ball
to Aisling McGeough. The forward struck
the ball low at the ‘keeper’s
feet, who was unlucky not to be able
to hold on to the ball in the slippy
conditions, as it rolled into the net.
Rostrevor followed this with a number
of point chances, which fell into keeper
Roisin McGreevy’s hands, who cleared
the danger well. Rostrevor came close
to getting on the score sheet again
as a long ball in from Russell dipped
under the crossbar, only for a square
ball decision to be awarded. To their
credit, the young Kilcoo team came back
into the game, with the excellent Cara
Laverty making several excellent solo
runs.
Kilcoo’s excellent
midfielder Leon Doherty continued her
impressive play into the second half,
causing difficulties for the Rostrevor
defence. A strong run into the fourteen
yard line resulted in a goal attempt,
well blocked by the blanket Rostrevor
defence. However, a resulting foul gave
centre half forward Catriona Devlin
the opportunity to score, which she
duly did. Kilcoo continued to press
forward, with Iona McEvoy showing well
on the wing. A Rostrevor point from
Ann Marie Reilly was quickly cancelled
out as Cara Laverty drove forward and
found McEvoy. A free awarded for a foul
on her was converted by the reliable
Doherty.
Probably the turning
point of the half came from captain
Brenda Russell. She thumped the ball
from 35 yards and while it looked to
be heading over the bar, it dipped at
the last minute just below the crossbar
giving the Kilcoo Keeper no chance.
Kilcoo didn’t give up though,
clawing back another point through a
free from Doherty to reduce the gap
to eight points. With just five minutes
remaining, Kylie Doherty took possession
of the ball on her own half back line.
She took off on a solo run right up
to the opposition’s fourteen-yard
line, where she hit probably the score
of the day. With seven between them,
Kilcoo again attacked through a goal
effort from Doherty which was well blocked
by Teresa Parr. Doherty did claim her
goal though, as their next attack saw
her belt the ball to the top corner
of the net, testing both the net and
the nerves of both team’s supporters.
With four between them and three minutes
left, Kilcoo pushed forward again only
to see another great goal effort rebound
off the post to safety. With their chance
seemingly gone, the Rostrevor team regained
their composure. A foul on Russell in
the middle of the field saw them calm
the nerves and play the ball to the
corner using up the last seconds. While
the game was eventually won by four
points, they were mightily relieved
to hear referee Frank McMullan’s
final whistle, giving them the title.
Final Score Kilcoo 2-10 Rostrevor 6-02.
Great credit must go to both teams for
a highly entertaining game of football.
Their achievements in reaching the final
were all the more impressive as both
teams only joined the ladies league
earlier this year. Most impressive for
Rostrevor were forwards Aisling McGeough
and Brenda Russell while credit goes
to their backs, particularly Danielle
Sherry and Teresa Parr for keeping them
always that step ahead on the score
sheet. The Kilcoo team can be very proud
of their first championship final outing.
Forwards Catriona Devlin, Cara Laverty
and Kylie Doherty were excellent while
midfielder Leon Doherty deserved a winner’s
medal for a tremendous personal tally
of 2-5.
Rostrevor: Kerri-Anne
Magee, Stephanie McConville, Teresa
Parr, Colleen Magee, Siobhan Magee,
Danielle Sherry, Siofra Mooney, Rosie
Markey, Carina Gannon, Claire Daly,
Brenda Russell (Captain), Anne-Marie
Reilly, Tracey Rice, Natasha Daryaie,
Aisling McGeough. Subs used: Aideen
Collins
Kilcoo: Roisin McGreevy,
Deirdre McEvoy, Noreen Brogan, Sarah
Grant, Michelle Boden (Captain), Fiona
McNeill, Niamh O’Higgins, Leon
Doherty, Elaine McNeill, Emma McNeill,
Catriona Devlin, Kylie Doherty, Tierna
Carlin, Orlaith Clarke, Cara Laverty
Michelle McClean
