Kilmore 1-7 Ballygarrett 2-1

Two top quality sides competed for the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Rackard League MiniSevens Girls’ Football title in St. Patricks Park on Tuesday last. Ballygarrett, who were the 2013 runners-up, were hoping to go one step further after last year’s disappointment. Kilmore were also desperate for success having narrowly lost out to Coolcotts in the Roinn A County Final before Christmas. Unfortunately there could only be one winner on the evening.

Ballygarrett began explosively when Amy Lawless buried the ball into the back of the net in the second minute for the first score of the game. Kilmore’s Mollie Bates nearly replied with a goal from the kick out but had to be content with a point soon after to get her team going. During the early stages of the game, the stylish play of Kilmore was creating more of the chances but these were not being converted and Ballygarrett hung in there with some great defensive teamwork. Three times in the opening half, impressive Ballygarrett goalkeeper Chloe Morris was called upon to make crucial saves to keep her teams lead intact. Kilmore also rattled the crossbar as they tried in vain to get a goal.

In the final minutes of the half, Kilmore’s attacking play was rewarded when they clipped over four quick points in succession to put them into a two point lead. Three of these scores came from the boot of Kira Bates Crosbie and Sophie Boxwell slotted over a free for the other. Kira Bates Crosbie almost added a goal to her account but Aoife Wafer made an outstanding defensive block just before the halftime whistle to leave the score at 0-5 to 1-0.

Ballygarrett were quick to score in the second half when Aoife Wafer put over a free. Their keeper Chloe Morris was then required to make another fantastic save to keep her team in the hunt. Kilmore returned the lead back to two points when Sophie Boxwell drove forward to get a vital score before Ballygarrett took the lead through an Aoife Wafer goal. 

As the game drew to a close Kilmore kept pushing hard and they had one more throw of the dice. Mollie Bates kicked in a long, speculative shot that somehow went all the way to the back of the net and to seal the deal she added a good point to bring the title back to Kilmore. It was a deserved victory as overall Kilmore had created alot of chances throughout the game, but one had to admire the dogged defence and determined teamwork of the Ballygarrett team that had brought them so close to winning.

Kilmore: Kate O’Reilly, Olivia McDonnell, Anna Bates, Mollie Bates, Sophie Boxwell, Kira Bates Crosbie, Ellen Berry, Grace Cousins,  Leanne Raftery, Ciara Moore, Shauna Koolhof, Sophie Keating

Ballygarrett: Chloe Morris, Josephine Gahan, Lelia Mulhall, Sherene Hamilton, Aoife Wafer, Amy Lawless, Ellen O’Loughlin, Sarah Dunne, Rachel Brady, Megan Doyle