U14 Final Kicoole vs St Nicks

 

Kilcoole 5-2

St Nicholas 3-2

Eoin Horkan

Laragh

 

A fantastic defensive display from St Nicks wasn’t enough as Kilcoole had two goals to spare in the end to win the U14 LGFA cup in Laragh on Sunday morning.

This final was a great advertisement for ladies’ football in Wicklow as both sides produced some final football from start to finish with special mention going to both goalkeepers who stood firm on numerous occasions. Kilcoole were first to score in this tie with a goal from a free from Lilly Murphy. St Nicks response was instant as within minutes they had taking the lead with a goal from Naoise Drouhin before full forward Charley Wheatley raised the first white flag of the game. This didn’t phase the north Wicklow side who pushed forward resulting in Charlotte Dowds levelling the tie after twelve minutes. The rest of the half was all Kilcoole who netted two more goals the first from Dowds before Millie Hamilton added a second within minutes. Kilcoole were goal hungry but four saves in the final ten minutes of the half from Saoirse Hennigan in the Nicks goal kept her side in this tie.

It was Kilcoole who started empty their bench at the break and it was substitute Grace Finnegan who opened the scoring in the half with a well taken point. With both defences on top in this tie the next few minutes produced some fine blocking  and defending from both sides. Nick’s goal was breached again as Murphy broke through to extend her sides lead. The west Wicklow side were finding hard to make any impact on the scoreboard. This all changed when substitute Sue O’ Hara netted twice in the space of five minutes while midfielder Kathryn Flynn drove forward to spilt the posts to leave a goal between the sides heading into the final five minutes.

It was Goosebank girls who managed to make sure of the tie with a final goal of the game as Hamilton finished to the net for her side on the counterattack.

 Kilcoole: Katie Hannon; Lucy Daly, Melissa Kirwan, Lucie Gavin; Holly Timmons, Mairéad Kruger, Sarah Ward; Abbey Brennan, Charlotte Dowds (1-1); Lena Gleeson, Eve Carey, Saoirse Briggs; Millie Hamilton (2-0), Lilly Murphy (2-0 1f), Clara Kruger.

Subs Used; Grace Finnegan (0-1) for S Briggs, Issy Parker for L Gleeson, Robyn Mitchell for S Ward, Lillian Kavanagh for M Kruger, Ava Murphy for C Kruger.

St Nicks: Saoirse Hennigan; Holly Flynn, Ruth Kearney, Gemma Doyle; Faye Miley, Ciara Sheridan, Isabelle Birchall; Kathryn Flynn (0-1), Ava Muldoon; Eve Wright, Lily Doyle, Naoise Drouhin (1-0); Iona Maguire Krogsrud, Charley Wheatley (0-1), Lucy Sheridan.

Subs Used: Ella Lawless for G Doyle, Mia Cunningham for E Wright, Sue O’ Hara (2-0) for I Maguire Krogsrud, Mary Corrigan for I Birchall, Lilymay Wheatley for  N Drouhin.  

Referee Pat Dunne ( Hollywood)