Coolcotts 1-5 Kilmore 0-6

                The conditions may not have been great in Taghmon last Wednesday, but that did not stop these two teams from playing a fierce brand of competitive football in the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Rackard League Girls Roinn A football final.

Coolcotts huffed and puffed early in play but could not blow the impressive Kilmore defence down. Latisha Cullen looked very dangerous for the Coolcotts forwards in these opening minutes but try as she might, Kilmore were not going to give her any time or the space to shoot at goal. Were it not for the brilliant defending of Ana Bates, Olivia McDonnell and Amy Cousins, Coolcotts could have had a lot of early scores.

Instead it was Kilmore who scored first when Kira Bates Crosbie shot from distance over the bar in the 6^th minute. Coolcotts continued to create many chances but the greasy conditions and aggressive Kilmore defending saw them kick many wides as the half continued. Kilmore were far more economical in front of the posts. Kira Bates Crosbie got her second point in the 14^th minute when Sophie Boxwell set her up for a cool finish. Coolcotts got their first point through Latisha Cullen in response to this Kilmore score. This was to be Coolcotts’ only score of the half however and Mollie Bates scored her first to ensure a halftime lead of two points for Kilmore.

Mollie Bates scored again after the restart after some good work by Grace Cousins. Coolcotts now needed a goal to get back into the game almost did before Kilmore goalie Kate O’Reilly did well to clear her lines under pressure. From the resultant 45, Kilmore full back Ana Bates also had to punch the ball clear from goal but Coolcotts were adamant that they got what they were looking for and it finally came when Aliat Kotun stole the ball off a Kilmore defender and turned to lob the keeper with a spectacular effort. Kilmore’s Mollie Bates then responded quickly by scoring her third point of the game to put her team back in front.

Despite this Kilmore lead, the momentum was slowly shifting in Coolcotts favour with the help of Coolcotts inspirational captain Abby Walsh who was playing the game of her life. In the 13^th minute she won a free that was converted by Hollie Sinnott to level affairs again and then she pushed on to get a score of her own to put Coolcotts in the lead for the first time in the match. Hollie Sinnott extended this lead to two points moments later when she landed over a massive free from out the field.

Kilmore got back into it through another trademark Mollie Bates solo and score but the more they chased the game, the more they began to open up at the back and in the final minute of normal time Izabela Zielinski got an important score to clinch the Roinn A title for the Wexford town girls. Kilmore’s Sophie Boxwell still had some time to get off a powerful shot at the Coolcotts goal in the dying moments but none other than Abby Walsh was at hand to get in a heroic block to ensure it was Coolcotts’ day. Also showing her class off the pitch, winning captain Abby Clancy was quick to compliment Kilmore for the quality side that they are and by honestly admitting that they were the toughest opposition that Coolcotts had played throughout the year. It was clear that the Coolcotts girls had fully understood that to be the best, they had to beat the best and so a victory against Roinn A final specialists Kilmore will always live long in the memories of those involved in this special win for the Wexford town side.

~Seán Óg Whelan

Coolcotts: Kyra Lacey, Alanna Fusciardi-Wallace, Ruth Hendrick, Siobhan Rossiter, Abby Walsh, Cathlin Murphy, Regina Beary, Hollie Sinnott, Casey Jordan, Aliat Kotun, Coast Moroney, Latisha Cullen, Izabela Zielinski, Tamzin Howell, Nadine Lynch, Nicole Tierney, Shauna Scallan Doyle, Lillian McDonald, Zoe Anglim, Aisha Mounhamir

Kilmore: Kate O’Reilly, Amy Mulligan, Ana Bates, Lorraine Power, Olivia McDonnell, Amy Cousins, Mollie Bates, Sophie Boxwell, Kira Bates Crosbie, Ellen Berry, Grace Cousins, Amy Bates Crosbie, Megan Doyle, Alex Brady, Niamh Bradfeld, Joely Doyle, Grace Lambert, Ciara Nash, Ciara Moore, Shauna Koolhof, Sophie Keating, Leanne Raftery