Round 3 of the Girls U16’s spring league was played in very different weather condition to last week’s round 2 game. The Walterstown U16 girls continue their winning ways with a hard fought 8 point win over a well organised Dunsany outfit. The match was played on this beautifully spring evening where the quality of the performance matched the weather.
Dunsany was first of the mark and had the better of the opening contest. Walterstown were finding it difficult to clear ball out of defence and it took a full 6 minutes for the first significant attack from the Walterstown team. Leanne O’Neill cleared the ball up the right wing to Kate McCarthy who side stepped her marker and delivered a pin point pass to Eimear Tobin to score our opening point. This was followed by another attack that yielded a 20 metre free which was again converted by Eimear. Walterstown got another quick break similar to the opening point that yielded our first goal; this was backed up with points from Rachel Hennelly and Marie McCarthy.
The Dunsany management had done their homework by closely marking our key playmakers in the mid-field and half forward line; as a result, they took control of the remaining first half scoring 1:2 without reply. The half time score was 1:4 apiece.
Having spent most of the first half defending their goal, the home team knew they were preforming below par, with this in mind, a much more determined team took the field in the second half. Kym Moyles moved into defence to shore up the back line, Ciara Looby commanded her goal mouth and got the ball moving out-field with pin-point kick-outs, Maeve McCabe, Anna Frazer and Aoife Farrell ran their feet off controlling the half back line. Antonia Brady and Leanne O’Neill won numerous turn-overs and Eleanor Murchan and Olivia O’Sullivan commanded the mid-field with high catches that would be the envy of any senior county footballer. Laura Fox who had to retire in the first half returned and together with Marie and Kate McCarthy delivered high quality passes into full forwards.
The forward line were exceptional with Moya Fotrell covered every blade of grass and scoring an tremendous goal, Rachel Hennelly battled for every ball kicked into her and Eimear Tobin’s finishing was superb. Eimear who honed her skills playing “no-man’s land” on the training pitch, scored a hat trick of second half goals to bring her tally to amazing 4 goals and 3 points.
This makes it 3 on the trot for the Walterstown girls with the next match on Monday at 7:30 away to our neighbours Skryne.
Ciara Looby, Leanne O’Neill, Kym Myles, Anna Frazer, Antonia Brady, Aoife Farrell, Eleanor Murchan, Kate McCarthy, Laura Fox, Olivia O’Sullivan, Rachel Hennelly, Moya Fotrell, Maeve McCabe, Eimear Tobin, Marie McCarthy,
