Kilcoo and St John’s Ladies - Kilcoo
1-10 v 1-07
St John’s
Ladies Sat 26th
May
|
Kilcoo and
St John’s Ladies played out a very
entertaining game on Saturday evening.
The match had originally been postponed
from the opening day but we were
probably had a better game on our hands
than had the game been played as
originally planned. The delay had
allowed both teams to get some games
under their belt and build up some
momentum. In the end it seemed that
Kilcoo are further along the learning
curve that the visitors who are doing
very well in their second year. It was
the Magpies superior support play that
made the difference in the end; when one
player was put under pressure there was
always someone to lay the ball off to.
On the night it was
St John’s who were to draw first blood
with a point from Grainne McCann. There
were opportunities to build upon this
before Kilcoo came into the ascendancy.
They more or less owned the ball for the
next ten minutes or so and got three
points in as many minutes. They could
have goaled as well but for Cathy McCann
quick response in coming out to meet the
Kilcoo forward who broke through with
the ball. The Johnnies dug in though
with the half back line of Danielle
Brannigan, Keavy Burns and Aisling
Savage rising to the challenge and
taking the game to Kilcoo. St John’s
created a couple of scoring
opportunities but their shots dropped
short into the keeper’s arms. Indeed
Kilcoo stretched their lead before
Martina Cunningham pulled one back with
a pointed free. Bronagh McCullough’s
departure from the game through injury
was a serious blow to
St John’s
but they got a third point when Catrina
McGreevy fisted Grainne McCann’s pass
over. Grainne was conspicuous again a
few minutes later, using her pace to get
back to clear the decks when Kilcoo
threatened with a goal chance. The first
half finished with a couple of Kilcoo
points to give them a 6-3 advantage at
the turnaround.
St John’s got the second period off to a
great start. Grainne and Siobhan McCann
exchanged passes before feeding the ball
in towards the square when Martina
Cunningham seized the ball and seized
the opportunity to fire her shot past
the keeper.
The scores were level but this shock
galvanised Kilcoo who got the next three
scores – with a goal sandwiched between
two points. Ciara Kelly, who had a great
second half, pulled a point back after
good work in the build up from Julie
Brown and Maria McCullough.
St John’s continued to press but Kilcoo
defended well at the expense of a couple
of 45s before St John’s reduced the
margin to three again with a pointed
free by Danielle Fitzpatrick.
And in no time they though they were
level again as Catrina McGreevy fisted
Danielle Fitzpatrick’s pass to the back
of the net only for the referee to rule
the score out for a “square ball”. The
scare sparked Kilcoo who battled forward
for another point but they were soon
back under the cosh. An injury to Keavy
Burns meant another re-organisation for
the Johnnies but they remained in the
ascendancy. They had a couple of narrow
wides before Martina Cunningham pointed
a free. At this stage Kilcoo were forced
to defend in numbers. Their defence was
sound though and they denied what could
have been a couple of goals. First Ciara
Kelly’s goal-bound effort was turned
away at the expense of a “45” by the
Kilcoo keeper at full stretch. It was a
brilliant save that would have graced
any stage. The Martina Cunningham was
denied as her shot was cleared off the
goal-line. Eventually Grainne McCann
pointed a free to narrow the margin to
two. Kilcoo worked the kickout downfield
and used their experience to ensure that
it stayed there for the last few
minutes. Orlaith McMullan, Mairead
McCullough and Kelly-Anne McCullough
ensured that they were only able to get
one more point.
The return match is at
St John’s next Saturday as both sides
begin the second half of their league
campaign and will no doubt serve up
another exciting instalment. Along with
Rostrevor these are the top teams in the
section – on this showing it is easy to
see why both are doing so well. And St
John’s will no doubt climb higher as
they continue to progress along that
learning curve.
St John’s: Cathy McCann; Mairead
McCullough, Orlaith McMullan, Julie
Brown; Danielle Brannigan, Keavy Burns,
Aisling Savage; Grainne McCann, Siobhan
McCann; Danielle Fitzpatrick, Martina
Cunningham, Bronagh Mc Cullough; Ciara
Kelly, Catrina McGreevy, Kelly-Anne
McCullough. Subs used: Maria McCullough
for Bronagh Mc Cullough, Bronagh Mc
Cullough for Keavy Burns.
