LGF Div.2 League Final: Moate 4-12 Mullingar Shamrocks 4-9.
Another addition to the catalogue of great LGF matches, a high intensity occasion with lots of scores, great goals, some brilliant execution of the blocking the ball skill, great saves and defending and a nice collection of bad wides to add to the occasion which was excellently refereed by Ken Daly. This on an evening when conditions were not easy for football.
Mullingar Shamrocks started slowly but fortunately Moate’s early dominance was reflected in a succession of bad wides rather than entries on the scoreboard which was limited to just two points after ten minutes of control. A Karen Hegarty point was followed by a great goal from Holly McCormack. A massive kick-out from Lauren McCormack was superbly fielded by Clara Thornton who sliced through the Moate defence before passing to Holly who dispatched the ball to the net. Karen Hegarty added two more points and at the water break Mullingar Shamrocks were leading by 1-3 to 0-3.
Mullingar Shamrocks lived dangerously on the restart. Moate hit the post when through for a goal; Sophie Hegarty, who had one of her finest games ever for Shamrocks, saved a certain goal with Lauren beaten before a great Lauren save ended another Moate salvo. Another Moate point was neutralised with Karen Hegarty’s third point of the night. A Moate penalty was superbly saved by Lauren but Emma Collins reacted fastest to the rebound and goaled to send Moate into what proved to be a short lived 1-6 to -14 lead as a Clara Thornton solo-run ended with a Shamrocks goal. Clara’s dipping shot was destined for the net from the moment it left Clara’s boot. A great goal from Clara who was one of Shamrocks’ stars on the night, a goal that began with a great Shamrocks turnover of Moate possession inspired by a brilliant Karen Hegarty block down. Moate responded and Sarah McCormack also scored a fine goal. A Holly McCormack point reduced the gap to the minimum at the interval (2-6 to 2-5).
A low scoring third quarter ended with Moate leading by 3-7 to 2-7; Moate’s goal came from Emma Collins’s superbly struck penalty. As classy a penalty goal as you could hope to see. Sarah McCormack and Karen Hegarty exchanged points and Clara Thornton and Maireád Newman (who covered acres of ground on the night) combined as Karen pointed. Moate began the final quarter with a Sarah McCormack goal, a fine individual effort as the skilful corner forward soloed through the Shamrocks defence and finished to the net. Sarah also added a point as did Maria O’Donohoe with aKaren Hegarty responding with a pointed free for Shamrocks as the scoreline read 4-9 to 2-8.
Shamrocks weren’t finished however and responded with great spirit. Teresa Connell squeezed the ball to the net; Sarah McCormack pointed for Moate before Clara Thornton crashed the ball top the net for her second goal of the evening and suddenly the deficit was down to just two points (4-10 to 4-8). Two Sarah McCormack points steadied the Moate ship before a Karen Hegarty pointed free proved to be the last score of the evening as time ran out on what was a great Shamrocks recovery. It was a night when the positives far outweighed the negatives from a Mullingar Shamrocks perspective and that is always good and a superb experience for the young players who played in the final.
Mullingar Shamrocks: Lauren McCormack; Shona McNicholas, Liveta Lazauskaite, Sophie Hegarty; Susanna Buckley, Melek Fagan, Oriana Quinn (Eve Hynes); Laura Whitelaw, Maireád Newman; Clara Thornton (2-0), Casey McDermott (Áine Melody), Cliodhna Spellman (Teresa Connell, 1-0); Jasmin Haugh (Jenna Kelly), Karen Hegarty (0-7), Holly McCormack (1-1)[Jodi Aherne].
