Well the sun finally showed up for the first of our ladies games last Wednesday evening in Abbeyknockmoy and so did the crowd! The whole near sideline was full of enthusiastic supporters shouting for their team and my god were they entertained. This was the game everyone wanted to watch as the top two teams in the league came head to head with the winner almost certainly in pole position to claim the Div1 league title. Straight from the start you could see that both sides were up for this game and you could cut the tension with a knife. Which team was going to score that first vital goal? It was neck in neck for the first 10 minutes with both teams creating chances. Captain, Paula Kelly was throwing her body on the line and made a crucial block on a clear goal chance for St. Bernards. Left wingers Niamh Ryan and Lorraine Lally dealt splendidly with a young pacy winger for Bernard’s and centre back Sarah O’Connell out marked Bernard’s goal machine Anna Grant. The ladies went for it and after 10 minutes the speedy Aisling Kelly did it again. Played in on an assist from Tessa Mullins, she wrapped her foot around a bouncing ball that lobbed in over the keeper to the left of the goal. The crowd went mad and everyone waited to see how Bernard’s would react but Colemanstown didn’t give them a chance. Colemanstown continued to pile on the pressure and always looked dangerous from corner kicks. Deliveries were excellent from Mullins and after a cross, a bobbling ball fell to the one and only Aisling Kelly again as she got her toe to poke the ball across the line. Abbey head’s were down and frustration was showing. Mullins was upended in this frustration and with the free kick she curled the ball up and over the creeping wall into the top right corner of the goal, David Beckham style. Another goal was to come before the half and a corner kick found the head of Catherine Burke. Goal-ward bound the ball was handled on the line by a Bernard’s defender and Mullins stepped up to the spot to slot the ball low and hard into the right corner of the net. Colemanstown went into the break leading 4 goals to nil. The sun was still shining and nobody wanted to think that this game was over because anything can happen in soccer. After a few kind words from management, Colemanstown went out for the second half all guns blazing! Aisling Kelly defiantly had an AK47 machine gun in her hands as she fired home another 2 goals, both fantastic finishes. St. Bernard’s really knew this wasn’t their day when their centre back miss kicked the ball and it curled around their keeper and rolled over the goal line. Substitute Alicia Flannery covered every blade of grass in her ten minutes on the pitch. Playing as a defensive midfielder she also got herself a goal when a ball was played in from the right wing was caught perfectly on her right boot and it zoomed into the bottom left corner. Catherine Burke got her nose in on the goal sheet as her head yet again was in the right place at the right time for a lovely little dink over the keeper. That was it, a 9 goal drubbing by a hard working Colemanstown ladies team. If there were a player of the match to choose from this game it would nearly be impossible to pick as everyone gave it their all. Substitutes were full of encouragement and support as they non stop got behind their team-mates until the final whistle went. Aisling Kelly now leads as top goal scorer with 7 goals, Tessa Mullins 5, Catherine Burke 4, Sarah O’Connell 1, Natasha Finn 1, Orla McCaffrey 1 and Alicia Flannery with 1. The future looks exciting for this panel of players and hopefully they will keep their unbeaten streak going next week. They play Tuam Celtic on Wednesday evening at home, KO 7:30pm. If you haven’t got to see the team play yet come down Wednesday as you won’t be disappointed. Well done to everyone on the great win and thanks to everyone who came to support the ladies as it means a whole lot. ‘Hon the Town’.
Report compliments yet again of Kara Mullins; not alone is she a great ladies team manager but a great reporter and journalist as well…… Well done Kara and the entire ladies squad.