MacHale Rovers Safely home by Mary McHale.
MacHale Rovers Safely home by Mary McHale.
October 16, 2019
Kearns’ Player of the Match Performance Leads MacHale Rovers to Junior Connacht Glory: by Mary McHale.
In an entrawling display, in nearly torrential rain, McHale Rovers brought home the Junior Connacht Title last Sunday. A close encounter in the first half, but the MacHale strength proved too much for the Galway visitors as the mayo side lifted the trophy in Ballyhaunis GAA grounds.
As the ball was thrown in, Claregalway started with blistering pace as Shauna Brennan collected the ball and carried it the length of the pitch towards corner forward Kate Slevin to claim the opening score. For the first quarter of the game, Brennan would dominate play in the middle of the field. As MacHales began to rise to the occasion, a scoring chance was missed by Kearns when a free hit the post. A score was quickly secured before a stunning interchange of play resulted in the first goal of the game the eighth minute. As the two teams traded scores, Slevin scored a point for Claregalway on the whistle, only a point separated the two teams at half time.
Claregalway levelled play within the first minute, securing a point from a free. However, an outstanding individual effort from Kearns would once again put MacHale Rovers ahead. Fantastic defensive work by cornerback Danielle Kelly and half forward Shauna Maughan put a stop to the attacking efforts put in by the Galway outfit. Maughan broke down an offensive effort by Claregalway and worked the ball into the hands of Kearns, from there Kelly took possession before ensuring its safe offload to corner forward Rebbecca Maughan, who saw the ball lob the opposing goalie and drop into the back of the net. Rovers were to rattle the back of the net on two more occasions, with one being from a penalty Kearns securely rocketed into the top left hand corner. Sinead Walsh also found the back of the net in the eighteenth minute.
Rovers dominated in the second half, pulling away by nine points. Overall, it was a highly contested performance played in very challenging conditions. The Mayo side march on to the next round in the All Ireland stages to be held in Manchester on Sunday 27th October at 3.00pm where they play Oisín’s of Manchester at Old Bedian, Milgate Lane, Didsbury.
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MacHale Rovers
Niamh Larkin, Danielle Kelly, Ruth Quennan, Clara Kelly, Caoimhe Walsh, Aoife Deane, Grace Murray, Marie Larkin (C) , Ellis Keane, Katrina Maughan, Shauna Maughan, Emily Murray, Sinead Walsh 2-1, Rachel Kearns 1-5 (0-2f), Rebecca Maughan 1-1
Subs used: Annie Gough, Maria O’Donnell, Laura Walsh, Sinead Mulhern
Claregalway
Hannah Coen (C) , Aoife Lyons, Laura Flynn, Megan Flaherty, Amy Walsh, Kiara Kearney 0-01, Shannon O’Connell, Catriona Moran, Shauna Brennan 0-02, Laura Scanlon, Ciana Reidy, Maeve Moran 0-03 (0-02f), Alannagh Griffen, Hannah Walsh, Kate Slevin 0-5 (0-01f)
Subs Used: Aoife Philips, Aisling Murphy
Referee: John Niland Sligo.