Monday, November 9, 2009
Leinster captured the Interprovincial title in fine style yesterday (Sunday, November 8, 2009) when they overcame reigning Champions Munster in a highly entertaining game in Athlone.
Both teams entered the final game of the series on 4 points each, having had convincing wins over Connacht and Ulster previously.
Leinster had the upper hand with superior goal difference therefore they just needed a point to clinch the title and deny Munster a fifth consecutive title.
It was defending Champions Munster who got off to winning ways in the opening game of the tournament on Friday evening as they faced Connacht in a wind-swept Tullamore.
School’s International Clare Shine made a great contribution to the game, her first two efforts on her right foot hitting the woodwork. It was third time lucky as a long range strike on her left peg registered the first score of the evening.
Cary’s Johnson, Claire Keating and Amy O’Connor were the other goal scorers as Munster enjoyed a 4-0 win at the expense of an experienced Connacht side.
The second fixture on Friday evening saw Ulster up against Leinster. Karen Delaney (Loreto College, Cavan) was a late replacement for Eimear Lafferty on the Ulster team.
Donegal’s Amber Barrett and Caroline Sharkey impressed when in possession.
Lauren Harper was quick down the wing but Jessica Hunt was well aware of the threat she brought and made some inspiring interceptions at critical times during the game.
Katie White was given too much time on the ball and she soon notched up two fine goals in the space of ten minutes. Further goals from Aisling Reynolds, Katie McCabe and Michelle Farrell ensured a comfortable 5-0 win.
Saturday’s matches were moved to Athlone IT as weather conditions deteriorated. Dom Coll’s Connacht were looking to make amends for their earlier defeat to Munster while Leinster were looking to maintain their winning ways.
Bunclody’s Leona Breen scored the opening goal early on. This was shortly followed by a superb strike from the inform Katie White. 2-0 to Leinster with an up hill battle for Connacht.
Connacht responded with good link play from Anna Lane and Sarah Rowe to release Sadbh Clancy in space. Unfortunately her effort was blocked on the line by Aleisha Cullen.
Connacht Captain Keira Cormican was playing some nice football but her final ball was failing to find colleagues Niamh Kelly and Lisa Casserly. Frustration for the westerners as Aoileaonn Collins and Alicia Develle went close on occasion.
Shauna Newman was unfortunate as her free kick from 20 yards was denied by the crossbar.
The second half brought about a new resurgence and Kells student Aine Bennett and Longford’s Aoife Darcy were lucky to slot home from close range. The game ended 4-0 to Leinster
Munster kicked off the second of Saturday’s fixtures against Ulster.
The game came to life on six minutes when Clare Shine’s pass into the penalty area was misjudged by the Ulster keeper under pressure. Her mistimed interception guided the ball past the goal line and 1-0 to Munster
Shine’s second of the afternoon came after great individual work in the centre of midfield. She won possession of Aisling McDermott and made a zig zag run to the right of the penalty area. The Cork native noted that the Ulster keeper was advancing fast so she chipped her shot over the head of Monaghan’s Sarah Cummingham and it rattled the back of the net to the amazement of the travelling supporters.
Ulster got one back courtesy of Charmaine McDermott. The Moville student registered Ulster’s first goal in the competition on 40 minutes after great work from Gemma McGuinness and Michelle Doran.
Cary’s Johnson converted from the penalty spot to make it 3-1 to Munster.
Shine was pressing forward at every opportunity in search of her hat trick. With 48 minutes played Shine made a great run forward and she snap shot was saved brilliantly by Sarah Cunningham in goal. However the rebounding shot fell nicely for Shine and she made no mistake at the second time of asking, 4-1 to Claire Wehrley’s team.
On Sunday morning, Connacht recorded their first win of the series with a goal in each half to contain Ulster.
Youngster Roisin McCafferky was eager to impress as she made her first start of the campaign. Her hard work rate was rewarded on 11 minutes when she chipped the keeper from 16 yards. Aoileaonn Collins came close 4 minutes later but the keeper got down well to save.
Kaneshia McKinney and Shannon McDonald were excellent in defence and denied Katie Carter on more than one occasion.
Unfortunately for Ulster Gemma McGuinness had to retire due to injury and had to rely on Lauren Harper, Caroline Sharkey and Leanne Maguire.
The Ulster girls tired vigorously to break down the Connacht defence but they held strong.
The second half brought about some positional changes and this seemed to improve the distribution of ball to the Connacht forward line.
Ailish Dealy scored Connacht’s second on 44 minutes with a beautifully executed free kick from 13 yards out. The keeper couldn’t do anything to stop the powerful shot on target.
Connacht could have hit their third of the morning but were unlucky when Linda Corcoran’s effort hit the side netting in the last few minutes of time. The game ending 2-0 to Connacht.
The finale saw Munster play Leinster in the deciding game of the competition on Sunday afternoon.
A closely contested affair was on the cards and it did not disappoint.
Less than a quarter of an hour in, Clare Shine’s free kick from the centre of the park found Shannon Carson beautifully. Her effort in front of goal looked like opening proceedings for the Munster girls but Nicole Cranny was on hand to pull off a marvellous finger tip save to guide the ball safely over the Leinster crossbar.
The Munster girls enjoyed a period of possession and looked as if they would easily gain the three goal margin required to deprive the skilful Leinster line up.
Clare Shine’s excellently executed set pieces were causing concern for the Leinster defence but Munster could not capitalise on the quality of Shine’s delivery.
As the game progressed it was evident that there was nothing between the two sides. It took a moment of magic from School’s International Shauna Newman to end the deadlock.
As Aisling Reynolds was fouled in possession, Newman offered to take the resulting free kick from 30 yards out. The Drogheda student sent a high ball into the penalty area which deceived most and ended up gliding past the head of goalkeeper Roisin Cahillane and into the Munster net.
Moyne’s Michelle Farrell was gifted a second soon after with good work down the right from Aleisha Cullen. Her delivery found Farrell who had a clear head on goal, unfortunately she couldn’t connect properly and the shot went agonising wide for Paul Howard’s side.
Leinster’s Katie McCabe, Chloe Mustaki and Leona Breen were linking well but their attempts on goal were foiled by Megan Connolly and Eimear Fennell.
The game ended 1-0 at the interval.
Munster’s resurgence was evident early on, as four minutes in; Clare Shine’s individual effort was saved well by Nicole Cranny between the posts.
Leinster were finding their groove as Michelle Farrell was denied by the woodwork.
Mean Scoil Muire student, Aoife Darcy made a darting run forward on 45 minutes. She managed to pull the ball back to the on running Farrell who squeezed the ball past the near post for a 2-0 lead.
Munster continued to press forward at every opportunity and Cork’s Amy O’Connor was making some promising runs forward.
Ciara O’Connell had her effort blocked by the ever present Ciara English in the box on 50 minutes.
Ciara McNamara and Carys Johnson were unlucky not to register scores as both efforts went agonisingly wide late in the second half.
Aisling Reynold’s long range effort, two minutes from time, was the icing on the cake for Leinster as they made it a hat trick of goals, much to the delight of manager, Paul Howard.
Leinster were deserving winners having notched up 12 incredible goals in the campaign, not conceding once on route to glory.
Indeed Leinster has now completed the double in the Interprovincial Series as Paddy O’Reilly’s U18 Boys team completed the same feat last month.
PROVINCIAL PANELS:
Connacht: Lisa Heffernan (St. Paul’s, Oughterard), Kayleigh Dunning (St. Josephs College, Summerhill), Ailish Dealy (St. Patrick’s College, Lacken Cross), Keira Cormican (Presentation College, Athenry), Linda Corcoran (Presentation College, Athenry), Anna Lane (Presentation College, Athenry), Sarah Rowe (St. Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina), Ciara Lynagh (Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill), Aoileaonn Collins (St. Patrick’s College, Lacken Cross), Sadbh Clancy (St. Clare’s Comprehensive School, Manorhamilton), Niamh Kelly (St. Louis Community School, Kiltimagh), Alicia Develle (St. Louis Community School, Kiltimagh), Katie Carter (Domincian College, Taylor’s Hill), Roisin McCafferky (Scoil Muire agus Padraig, Swinford), Lisa Casserly (Seamount College, Kinvara), Rachael Timothy (Castlerea Community School), Fiona Treacy (St. Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina).
Management: Dom Coll, Manager (Presentation College, Athenry), Seamus Mac Eachmharcaigh, Assistant Manager (Sacred Heart School, Westport), Sean Boland, Coach and Noelle Connolly, Assistant Coach (Convent of Mercy, Roscommon)
Ulster: Sarah Cunningham (Inver College, Carrickmacross), Kaneshia McKinney (Loreto Convent, Letterkenny), Nadine Crawford (Loreto Convent, Letterkenny), Kathy McLaughlin (Moville Community College), Shannon McDonald (Moville Community College), Michelle Doran (Errigal College, Letterkenny), Lauren Harper (Loreto Convent, Letterkenny), Charmaine McDermott (Moville Community College), Gemma McGuinness (Moville Community College), Amber Barrett (Loreto Community School, Milford), Karen Delaney (Loreto College, Cavan), Caroline Sharkey (Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair), Aisling McDermott (Loreto Community School, Milford), Leanne Maguire (Inver College), Sadha Medlar (Loreto Convent, Letterkenny), Paula McGrory (Crana College, Buncrana), Sarah Jane McDonald (Moville Community College)
Management: Sean McFadden, Manager (Crana College, Buncrana), Denise Dowds, Assistant Manager (Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana), Michelle Duffy, Coach (Loreto Convent, Letterkenny), Nicola Roache, Assistant Coach (St. Columba’s College, Stranorlar)
Munster: Aine Bresnihan (St. Mary’s SS, Charleville), Shannon Carson (St Vincent’s SS, Cork), Megan Connolly (Christ the King SS, Cork), Olivia Dawson (St. Brigid’s SS, Killarney), Eimear Fennell (St. Augustine’s College, Dungarvan), Aisling Fox (Christ the King SS), Carys Johnson (Colaiste Mhuire, Buttevant), Claire Keating (St. Joseph’s SS, Doon), Taylor Kruschel (St. Mary’s High, Midleton), Emma Madigan (Colaiste Mhuire, Buttevant), Ciara McNamara (Colaiste An Chroi Naofa, Cork), Laura O’Brien (Christ the King SS), Ciara O’Connell (Mount Mercy College, Cork), Amy O’Connor (St. Vincent’s SS), Edel O’Dwyer (Presentation SS, Thurles), Clare Shine (Regina Mundi, Cork), Roisin Cahillane (Blackwater CS, Lismore)
Management: Claire Wehrley (St. Flannan’s College, Ennis), Yvonne O’Keefe (St. Mary’s SS, Charleville), Eric Nelligan (St. Munchin’s College, Limerick), Richard Grimes (St. Caimin’s CS, Shannon), Lorraine Counihan (Colaiste Mhuire, Buttevant).
Leinster: Nicole Cranny (Heywood Community College, Portlaoise), Aleisha Cullen (Presentation Secondary School, Wexford), Sarah Shannon (Convent of Mercy, Ballymahon), Jessica Hunt (Loreto Secondary School, Bray), Ciara English (St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary, Greystones), Elie Columb (Moyne Community School), Aisling Reynolds (Mean Scoil Muire, Longford), Shauna Newman (St. Oliver’s Community College), Emily Cahill (Newpark Comprehensive School), Aoife Darcy (Mean Scoil Muire, Longford), Aine Bennett (Eureka Secondary School, Kells), Katie McCabe (St. Paul’s Secondary School, Greenhills), Chloe Mustaki (St. Killian’s DSD), Leona Breen (FCJ Secondary School, Bunclody), Michelle Farrell (Moyne Community College), Bethany Houldsworth (Cnoc Mhuire, Granard), Katie White (St. Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross)
Management: Paul Howard, Manager (Loreto College, Crumlin), Richelle O’Neill, Head Coach (Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore), Joe Stafford, Assistant Coach (Skerries Community College)
INTERPROVINCIAL FIXTURES:
Munster 4-0 Connacht
Leinster 5-0 Ulster
Leinster 4-0 Connacht
Munster 4-1 Ulster
Ulster 0-2 Connacht
Leinster 3-0 Munster
POINTS: Leinster 6, Munster 4, Connacht 2,Ulster 0
BOB DOCHETY TOURNAMENT (Girls International)
12-15 April 2010 in Scotland
