Saturday, February 6, 2016
U15 Republic of Ireland select 2-1 U16 MGL select
Lily Hengerer (25), Aoife Lynagh (40) Michaela Fox Walsh (5)
U15 GIRLS’ REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SCHOOLS SELECT had their first outing of the season this afternoon at the Football Association of Ireland’s National Training Centre against an U16 MGL select who are also trialing at the moment.
The Metropolitan Girls League were a stern test for Lorraine Counihan’s debutants in a tense encounter. This was the first competitive outing for the Schools select following four one day trials held since the FAI Schools Girls’ Interprovincial tournament back in November. The 68 players in attendance at that three day tournament were whittled down to 32 and invited in for a number of subsequent trials.
The panel is currently at 24 but there were a few notable absentee’s this afternoon as two players were ruled out due to injury; Tyler Toland (Deele College, Raphoe) and Mary Kate Curran (Blackwater CS). The other duo of Amy Boyle Carr (St. Columba’s CS, Glenties) and Aine Donegan (Rice College, Ennis) were unavailable for this weekend’s activities. The quartet will be back for the next outing on February 19 and 20 in Dublin.
The Republic of Ireland were strengthened by the return of three key players from last season, namely; Aoife Lynagh (Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill), Meghen Hengerer (Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill) and Louise Masterson (Holy Family CS, Rathcoole). Toland and Boyle Carr were also capped last year so there is potential to have those 5 selected again if their current run of form is maintained.
Counihan named Carrigaline Community School scholar, Rachel O’Regan as team captain for this game and one that the youngster relished.
It was a cagey beginning for the Republic of Ireland and the momentum was with the MGL side in the early exchanges. Michaela Fox Walsh reacted quickest to a defensive blunder. She had an open goal to slot the ball into with only five minutes of the game played.
It took the Irish select some time to settle into the game but as the game progressed, their confidence grew. Dominican College pupil Lilly Hengerer equalized twenty minutes later with a beautifully taken goal inside a packed box. Taylor’s Hill star Aoife Lynagh finished off a superb piece of play to double the lead for Lorraine Counihan’s troops with 40 minutes registered.
The Irish manager was delighted with her team’s performance and can take many positives from what she saw from the 20 players trialled. Indeed there will be plenty to work on before her side take on Northern Ireland in a friendly later this month. Following that, the squad will be cut to 18 to travel to England for another friendly in early March.
Any last minute tactics will be polished off when the squad travel to Wales to participate in the annual Bob Docherty International tournament. The four day tournament will see the Republic of Ireland play Wales and Northern Ireland in group one with the winners taking on either England, Wales (2) or Scotland in the play-offs.
U15 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SCHOOLS SELECT: Maria O’Sullivan (Ballincollig CS), Rachel O’Regan (Carrigaline CS), Eabha O’Mahony (Mount Mercy College, Cork), Aisling Spillane (The Kings Hospital, Pamerstown), Aoife Lynagh (Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill), Sinead Donovan (Claregalway CS), Zara Foley (Ballincollig CS), Doireann Fahey (Ardscoil Rathanga), Megan Halvin (Moville CC), Alannah McEvoy (Loreto SS, Bray), Leah McHugh (St. Joseph’s SS, Foxford), Lilly Hengerer (Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill), Lucia Labato (Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill), Isibeal Carolan (St. Joseph’s SS, Rush), Jessica Ziu (Larkin CC), Rachel Kelly (Manor House School, Raheny), Louise Masterson (Holy Family CS, Rathcoole), Angela McGuigan (Scoil Mhuire, Carrick on Suir), Meghan Hengerer (Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill), Karen Connolly (St. Brigid’s School, Tuam)
Missing: Amy Boyle Carr (St. Columba’s CS, Glenties), Tyler Toland, injured (Deele College, Raphoe), Aine Donegan (Rice College, Ennis), Mary Kate Curran, injured (Blackwater CS)
U16 MGL SELECT: Niamh Coombes, Aoife Brophy, Leah Doyle, Keelin McEntee, Roisin McGovern, Jess Morrissey, Orla Hackett, Aoife Hanley, Michaela Fox Walsh, Jen Cosgrove, Alex McNally, Nicole Smyth, Aimee Maher, Erica Turner
Missing; Katie Bolger Burdis, Aoife Fennell, Tiegan Ruddy
U15 Girls’ Friendly:
Saturday, February 20 Republic of Ireland vs Northern Ireland, 1pm, Oriel Park, Dundalk FC
Sunday, March 6 Republic of Ireland vs England, 11am, Bury FC
U15 Girls’ International: BOB DOCHERTY TOURNAMENT
Friday, April 1 Wales vs Republic of Ireland, 6pm, Dragon Park, Wales
Saturday, April 2 Republic of Ireland vs Northern Ireland, 2pm, Dragon Park, Wales
Monday, April 4 Play-offs, 11am, Newport Stadium, Wales
