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Newcastle Girls’ Down County Champions !
The Annual
Girls’ Indoor Football championship was held at
various centres in mid January with eight teams
qualifying for the County Final on Tues 24 January
in Bryansford Sports Hall. The following schools
reached the finals: St. Nicholas’ Ardglass,
Ballyholland P.S., Carrick P.S., St. Malachy’s
Castlewellan, Legamaddy P.S., St. Mary’s Newcastle,
St. Patrick’s Mayobridge and St. Patrick’s Newry.
The teams were divided into two groups with the top
two teams meeting in the final.
Group One.
Legamaddy
P.S. won all their matches in Group One overcoming
the much fancied Mayobridge, Ballyholland and
Castlewellan while only conceding 2-2 and scoring a
massive 3-15 in reply ! Throughout their group
matches, Legamaddy put on a wonderful display of
team football with Katie Tumelty being superb in
goals, ably assisted by Kendra McEvoy in the
backline, Natasha Lavery surging forward to score
and the equally accurate Alisha Treacy in the
forward line.The other teams in this section had
very close encounters as the scores below reveal.
Group One
Results.
Legamaddy
2-3 Castlewellan 0-1
Ballyholland
0-4 Mayobridge 1-3
Ballyholland
0-0 Castlewellan 0-1
Mayobridge
1-5 Castlewellan 2-2
Legamaddy
1-4 Mayobridge 1-0
Legamaddy
0-8 Ballyholland 1-1
Group Two.
Although St.
Mary’s Newcastle were the favourites to win this
group, the impressive display of St. Patrick’s Newry
in their opening game against Carrick suggested
otherwise. St. Mary’s easily overcame Ardglass when
scoring 3-6 without reply. The next game in the
group proved to be the deciding factor as Newcastle
inspired by the superb defending of Caoimhe McKay,
the tirelessly running of Megan Brannigan and the
scoring of Annick Maginn and Ciara Burns was too
much for the gallant Newry team. In the final games
of this group, the Newcastle and Newry teams easily
overcame the respective opponents in Carrick and
Ardglass. These results ensured a place in the final
for the girls from St. Mary’s Newcastle.
Group Two
Results:
Carrick 0-2
Newry 1-7
Ardglass
0-0 Newcastle
3-6
Carrick 2-2
Ardglass 0-1
Newry
0-3 Newcastle
2-3
Carrick 0-2
Newcastle 1-7
Ardglass
0-0 Newry
2-6
The scene was
now set for the Girls’ Indoor Football Championship
final for 2006 with Legamaddy and Newcastle both
aspiring to be crowned county champions. St. Mary’s
opened their account thanks to the skill and
accuracy of Caoimhe McKay and they doubled their
advantage from the foot of their captain Annick
Maginn. The Legamaddy defence was now under great
pressure but the efforts of Katie Tumelty in goals
and defender Kendra McEvoy ensured Newcastle didn’t
increase their lead. Swift play from Natasha Lavery
reduce the lead to one point. There now followed a
frenetic period of end to end football as both teams
struggled for supremacy. The deadlock was broken by
two surging runs from Annick Maginn which resulted
in a goal and a point for St. Mary’s. Further scores
from captain Maginn, Megan Brannigan and Ciara Burns
ensured that the Newcastle girls were champions.
Legamaddy never gave up and a late goal from Natasha
Lavery confirmed this but it was too late and
Newcastle held on for a wonderful victory.
Final Score:
St. Mary’s
Newcastle
1-5 Legamaddy 1-2
After the
final, Mr Paddy Hardy, who had refereed all the
games, congratulated all the schools who had
participated in this year’s competition and he
commented how the excellent coaching in schools was
most evident in the skills displayed by these girls
which augured well for the future of ladies football
in county Down. He presented both teams with their
trophies and looked forward to their participation
in the other competitions organised throughout the
year. He also thanked the Bryansford GAC for the use
of their facilities and the various members of
Cumann na mBunscol an Duin who assisted in the
organisation of this event. |
