Leetch's Ladies London Bound.
Leetch's Ladies London Bound.
October 14, 2019
Leetch’s Ladies London Bound
by Mary McHale
St Nathy’s started where they left off last week in their Connacht semi-final against Glenamaddy/Williamstown, as they continued their winning streak on Sunday with their triumph over Leitrim’s St Joseph’s in Ballyhaunis GAA Grounds in the Connacht Intermediate Final. Conditions were challenging due to the heavy rain which seemed to intensify the game, leading to a very physical battle between the two sides as the final whistle grew closer.
The game commenced before 3.30pm in the afternoon with Nathy’s dominating from the throw in with Denise McGrath popping the ball over the bar before the first minute had passed. This was a sign as to how the game would turn out as McGrath and her fellow half forwards captain Áine Gormley and Ciara Gorman would continue to cause havoc around the pitch for the duration of the game.
St Joseph’s were not without their own auxiliaries, as their half back line would continuously graft to work the ball out of their defense. Wing back Louise Maguire played a very influential role in the game as she broke out of the defense having reclaimed possession on many occasions, bridging play between the back line and the forwards.
The twenty third minute saw Annemarie Coleman sin binned for a foul on full forward Bronagh O'Rourke, which she duly converted. As the game continued to grow more physical, there was a severe face clash in front of the Sligo posts between Joseph’s Michelle Heslin and Nathy’s Roisin Scanlon, which resulted in a free in to Joseph’s. O’Rourke converted the free as the half time whistle drew near. The game intensified further resulting in both teams losing a player to sin bins. The whistle blew with fourteen players left on the pitch for Joseph’s and thirteen for Nathy’s.
At half time, little separated the two teams. Nathy’s McGrath and Gorman had secured them a respectable seven points from play whilst Joseph’s had secured four out of five scores from frees. Though the stats didn’t reflect the performance on the pitch. Both teams emerged from their dressing rooms to the loud cheers from the large attendance.
The Leitrim side were first to attack with Aine Heslin scoring in the first minute which was promptly counteracted by a Carmel McGovern point only moments later. Joseph’s then suffered another blow when key half back Shannon O'Rourke was sin binned following a collision with Nathy’s Carol Coleman, which saw Coleman convert a free. Only moments later, Joseph’s Carmel McGovern found herself at the opposite end of the pitch, one on one with goalkeeper Noelle Gormley in a penalty. The converted penalty put Joseph’s one point ahead, for the first time in the game.
As the ball hit the back of the net, the heavens opened. Conditions worsened testing both teams physically and mentally. Nathy’s midfielder AnneMarie Coleman carried the ball down the right wing to dominating McGrath who suffered a wide, in front of the posts. She quickly made amends by securing a spectacular point to bring the scores level. The twelfth minute saw both sides back to fifteen a side as Heslin and Sharpshooter Gorman resumed their places on the field. Just as she resumed her place, Gorman sees her effort drop short into the goalmouth which was recovered my midfielder Coleman and worked to McGrath to secure another point.
A rampant Joseph’s repeatedly tried to find Michelle Heslin in the forward line, but the Nathy’s defense were relentless, swarming play patiently until they regained possession to work the ball out into their own forward line. A great interchange of play between Gorman, Doddy and Walsh, saw Walsh pulled down inside the box resulting in a penalty in the twenty seventh minute. A heroic save by Kiera Masteron was unfortunately dismissed by a rebound off Gorman into the back of the net, as it looked as though George Leetch’s ladies had secured the intermediate title for Yeates County. Captain Gormley was to finish the half with a final score from free, to finish the game six points up.
McBrien’s St Joseph’s put in a gallant effort but came up short against a stronger Nathy’s team on the day. Nathy’s progress to the All Ireland stages of the championship which takes place in London in two weeks time..
St Joseph’s
Kiera Masteron, Eadaoin Casey, Vanessa Gallogly, Elaine McGovern, Louise Maguire, Shannon O’Rourke, Genevieve Canning, Aine Heslin(0-01), Michelle Heslin(0-01f), Rachel McIntyre, Clare Owens, Grainne O’Malley, Celine Shortt, Bronagh O’Rourke(0-05f), Carmel McGovern (c)(1-0f)
Subs Used: Lisa McDermott, Megan O’Rourke
St Nathy’s
Noelle Gormley, Jennie Creegan, Angela Doohan, Etna Flanagan, Leigh Mullen, Jane O’Dowd, Hannah Walsh, Tara Doddy, Annemarie Coleman, Aine Gormley (c)(0-01)(0-01f) , Ciara Gorman(0-02)(0-02f), Denise McGrath(0-05)(1-0f), Carol Coleman(0-01), Roisin Scanlon, Kathleen Coleman(0-01)
Subs Used: Jacqueline Barrett, Emma Coleman, Sorcha Ni Shlatara, Aoibhin Gannon, Una Cafferky
Referee; P. J Rabbitte (Galway)