Simonstown 3-18 Oldcastle 2-06

A dream year had a dream ending on Saturday when the Simonstown senior ladies completed a memorable treble by bringing back a first ever Senior league title to the club with a devastatingly clinical performance against Oldcastle in Grangegodden. These two sides had already met three times this year. The Navan girls had emerged victorious twice and the Oldcastle ladies once. Those previous contests had all been hard fought contests. This was no different with thirty scores taken throughout-all of a high quality. Simonstown were down a few players due to injury, college graduations and work but presumably Oldcastle were too. Nevertheless, both sides were determined to end the year on a high.

However, it was the Navan girls who got the perfect start when Lauryn Grier kick started her team’s effort with a great point straight from the throw in.

A vital Regina Hand interception early on insured that there was to be no immediate reply from Oldcastle. Instead it was Simonstown who were to extend their lead on five minutes when Ailbhe McHugh struck a monster point from a long range free. Tara Berrigan at left corner forward struck twice in the next five minutes, firstly with a point  after seven minutes and very soon after with a  bullet of a shot to the net after slick build up play in which midfielder Niamh Cassidy provided the final pass.

A trademark Aoife Farrell block on Chloe McNamee as she surged forward again insured that Oldcastle were struggling to gain any foothold in proceedings. Alongside Farrell on the half back line Regina Hand and Katie Bellew were never found wanting. Bellew’s athleticism and pace makes her a difficult opponent for any forward to try to outmanoeuvre while Hand’s reading of the game and distribution means she can switch between defence and attack in an instant.

Oldcastle finally opened their account on eleven minutes when full forward Joanna Byrne struck over a free and the same player pointed from another soon after to make it 1.03 to 0.2.

Wing forward Ailbhe McHugh was unlucky to see her point drop off the upright midway through the first half and a Kelly Harris free soon after also dropped short. However, McHugh got her second and her team’s fifth score  in the eighteenth minute when she lashed over from distance. By this stage it was all Simonstown. Kelly Harris went short with her next free and a  lightning fast one two and point  saw her make it 1.05 to 0.2. The gap was opening steadily. McHugh suffered a clash of heads with one of the Oldcastle players soon after but physio Caoimhe Gibney gave Ailbhe the all clear to continue and she was to go on to deliver a typically industrious performance laced with plenty of skill.

Kelsey Nesbitt extended the lead further with a point. However, when Jackie Shiels buried Simonstown’s second goal as the half wore on things were looking ominous for Oldcastle.

A minute later Tara Berrigan won a kick out, laid off to  Shiels and she fired over almost instinctively. Captain Sinead Coyle was doing her utmost to drag Oldcaste back into proceedings and she bagged a fine third point for her side. However, she like her fellow forwards were well and truly living off scraps against a Captain Niamh Sheridan marshalled Simonstown rearguard who were relentless in tracking down and dispossessing opponents. By virtue of Oldcastle playing a sweeper Niamh was in the sweeper role for Simonstown and it’s a role she clearly enjoys as anticipating play is just one of her strengths.

Lauryn Grier showed her marker Lisa Brennan a clean pair of heels on twenty five minutes after great approach play by Hand, Harris and Shiels. Grier’s curled effort sailed between the posts. Niamh Lister was quite possibly having her best game of the year in the sky navy and blue colours and she was on the end of any number of Naoise de Graaff’s razor sharp kickouts. Alongside Lister, Niamh Cassidy showed her versatility throughout –one minute back helping in defence, the next surging forward to set up attack after attack. Jackie Shiels was another growing in confidence with every passing minute of this contest. She made it 2.09 to 0.3 on twenty nine minutes. A Bellew interception at the back saw her sweep up the field. She laid off to Cassidy who found Shiels in space and she got the final score of the first half.

Simonstown knew that if they could match Oldcastle score for score in the second half that then they would be home and dry. They did that and more. Lauryn Grier added her third and  point early in the second half and Harris fired over her second free after five second half minutes. Grier’s fourth point was another well taken effort. Chloe McNamee and Nicole Smith attempted to breathe some life back into their side’s challenge when they both pointed. But there was to be no mercy shown on this occasion. Emma Healy and Nicole Smith were full of speed and running up front for the west Meath outfit but on the rare occasions that they evaded the clutches of the Navan girls’ half back line they were met with the Sheridan sisters and Emma Cassidy nestled in behind. None were in a particularly charitable mood!! Kelsey Nesbitt had been unfortunate to receive a yellow card from referee Sean Gahan just before half time but once back in the action after ten minutes of the second half she helped give the attack renewed impetus.

Simonstown’s next move was text book. A de Graaff  kick out to Regina Hand was laid off to Niamh Lister. Niamh bore down on the Oldcastle goal at pace, spotted Jackie Shiels inside and Jackie got her side’s final goal of the year to make it 3.13 to 0.5. Tara Berrigan’s third score was a point. Shiels also fisted over while sub Ellie Lane was very unlucky to see keeper Karen Cadden somehow get her fingertips to her goal bound shot. Oldcastle did rattle in 2.02 in the last eight minutes but it was a case of too little too late. There were further points from Nesbitt, Shiels and sub Niamh Hand. The loudest cheer of the day went up when Niamh Lister rounded off her own display with a monster effort which sailed between the posts.

Afterwards Meath ladies Chair Fearghal Harney paid tribute to both sides who have become very familiar with one another in 2018. Captain Niamh Sheridan capped off a fantastic year for her side as she accepted the winning trophy. For this group of players it was one of those years where all their hard work, commitment and enthusiasm paid off in spades. Added to that mix one could also add the vital ingredients of hunger and experience. For their first three years at the senior level this team had experienced some seriously tough set backs along the way-many of them of the devastating variety. However, they were able to channel all of the hurt of previous losses into a year where they were utterly determined to make their mark. That they certainly did -winning all silverware on offer in Meath ladies senior football. We’re certainly not forgetting the Juniors either who trained all year with the senior panel and whose numbers ensured there were always great turnouts for training.  They too enjoyed a fine year getting to the Junior B championship semi final and winning the Division five league. A fantastic bunch all and a credit to the club.

Simonstown: 1.Naoise de Graaff, 2.Aisling Sheridan, 3.Emma Cassidy,  4.Niamh Sheridan, 5.Katie Bellew,  6.Regina Hand, 7.Aoife Farrell, 8.Niamh Lister    9.Niamh Cassidy, 10. Lauryn Grier  11.Kelsey Nesbitt    12.Ailbhe McHugh, 13.Kelly Harris   14.Jackie Shiels, 15.Tara Berrigan, Subs: 16.Nicole Byrne, 17.Paula Fitzgerald, 18. Ellie Lane, 19. Karen Foran, 20.Jane Smyth, 22.Sinead Mooney, 23.Niamh Hand, 24.Orla Conlon

Oldcastle: 1.Karen Cadden, 2.Jane Brown, 3.Claire Griffin, 4.Eimear Hetherton, 5.Aine Bennett, 6.Gillian Hawdon, 7.Lisa Brennan, 8.Orla Smith, 9.Ciara Brown, 10.Emma Healy, 11.Chloe McNamee, 12.Gabriele Krivinskaite,  13. Sinead Coyle (Captain), 14. Joanna Byrne, 15. Nicole Smith

Subs: 16. Emily Jo White, 17. Bridgetta Lynch, 18. Gemma Galligan, 19.Ciara Delaney, 20.Niamh Plunkett, 21. Nadine Wade, 22/ Eimear Delaney, 23.Niamh McKenna, 24.Aoibhinn Timmons, 25. Ruth McDonnell, 26. Sarah O’Reilly, 27.Caoimhe Sheridan

Ref: Sean Gahan

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