Match Report 
Competition:  Senior Championship
Group B Round 2 
Venue:  Radley Park Leixlip 
Date: Tuesday 25th August Time:  7:30 PM 

Leixlip 3 - 10  
Grangenovlan 1 - 5 

Score at Half Time:  Leixlip 2 - 7 Grangenovlan 1 - 4 
Group B of the Kildare Ladies Senior Football Championship saw a nail biting finish in Leixlip last Tuesday where despite Leixlip a good win was all about the score difference in the end and well the 30 players on the field knew it. Going in to the game Leixlip knew they not only had to win but by a big margin with 11 or 12 points on most spectators lips and with 40 minutes on the clock a well worked short free from Karen O'Shea to Caroline Lynch resulted in Caroline playing a perfect pass to Sinead McHugh on the 13 metre line on the left and a lovely swing of her favourite left boot saw Sinead arrow the ball across Carol Keogh to the far top corner and Leixlip had their 12 point margin. Now the Grangenovlan Ladies are a proud lot, with much to base that attitude on, and they threw everything they knew at Leixlip for the next 20 minutes. Under pressure Leixlip defended with grim determination always resisting the temptation to give away frees in scoreably positions. The excellent defence , reinforced by Sinead McHugh and Maria Moolick dropping deep was gradually increased in number to 15 as they determined to give nothing away and when they broke they had chances but found Carol Keogh, back in the Grangenovlan goals after a long 4 year break in great form and she dealt with everything that came her way. At the other end Eimear Fallon was solid as a rock with Paula J McCarthy at full back and centre half Aishling Savage outstanding and for 20 minutes Grangenovlan just could not find a way through. There was missed free when the very reliable Yvonne Murphy stroked one just wide after Referee Shay Hurson deemed a straight on charge in possession by Donna Berry into the stationery Aishling Savage a forwards free. It was deep into added time when Donna fired over the bar after a defender punched a dropping ball out of the Leixlip square for her team's only score of the second half and  then the question of was it an 11 or 12 point margin that Leixlip required became extremely relevant. With Confey, Leixlip and Grangenovlan tied on 6 points each the general assumption was that Confey had a safe Semi Final spot but the second position had to be confirmed and the phones came out to confirm the rules and results but with a - 3 score difference Leixlip just about had the better of the - 5 figure attributed to Grangenovlan who had beaten Confey in Round 2 but Confey had beaten Leixlip in Round 1.

The game got off to a cracking start. A pointed free from Susan O'Connor by quickly followed by a Caroline Lynch goal when she collected a low pass and swivelled onto her usual standing only right foot to fire home and Maria Moolick cracked one over off the crossbar to leave Leixlip 5 in front. Grangenovlan took up the challenge. Yvonne Murphy wriggled free to kick over and followed with 2 from frees, the old fashioned reliable way, off the ground. A soaring Joanna Timmins point only drew a quicker reply as Sharon Conway in behind the full backs gave Shona Killeen the "Seamus Darby " nudge and buried it and the sides were level on the quarter hour. Then Leixlip pushed on with 4 points, one a Susan O'Connor free when Maria Moolick was fouled and the other 3 all great efforts from Moolick and she then set up the second goal put away by Aileen Quinn while Grangenovlan could only add an injury time pointed free as Donna Berry operating at centre forward after a switch with Julie Cunningham won the free after a barnstorming run. The score at the break, 2 - 7 to 1 - 3 in favour of Leixlip, was on the edge of what the teams needed, Leixlip needing to win by 10 to advance while Grangenovlan would survive even losing by 8.

On the resumption Karen O'Shea emphasised the home team's midfield dominance as she drove over and Maria Moolick added another but 4 minutes in Leixlip looked in trouble when Susan O'Connor was Yellow Carded for back chat. The Maroons defence weathered some heavy pressure with Paula J McCarthy and Aishling Savage to the fore and Maria Moolick took a ball out of defence and split the posts after a massive surge and a one/two with Karen Houghton. Then came the decisive moment. Karen O'Shea drove a long free goalwards. Caroline Lynch guided it into the path of Sinead McHugh who drove it across Carl Keogh to the far top corner.

For the remaining 19 minutes Leixlip did not score but defended en masse. They did miss a handy free and lobbed 2 others from way out towards the square but they needed a goal and Leixlip just would not yield and the game had slipped into injury time when another high lob was punched out to Donna Berry whose driven effort was high over the bar and Leixlip had made it on - 3 but Grangenovlan for the second time in 3 years lost out on their - 5 score difference.

Both sides deserve great credit for serving up this thrilling game. Carol Keogh, Emma Hannigan and Niamh Cunnane at the back, Brianne and Kate Leahy at midfield with Kate spending much of the game providing cover for her full back and attackers Donna Berry and Yvonne Murphy gave everything for Grangenovlan. For Leixlip Orla Ryan shut out the dangerous Sharon Conway after an early switch, Eimear Fallon, Paula McCarthy, Karen Houghton and Aishling Savage excelled in defence. Karen O'Shea and Joanna Timmins got the better of the midfield battle while Caroline Lynch, a late call up when Claire Fadian did a hamstring in the warm up, Susan O'Connor, Maria Moolick and the roving Sinead McHugh did most of the damage in attack.  

Scorers 
Leixlip 
Maria Moolick   0 - 6
Caroline Lynch 1 - 0
Aileen Quinn  1 - 0
Sinead McHugh 1 - 0
Susan O'Connor  0 - 2 (Frs)
Joanna Timmins 0 - 1
Karen O'Shea  0 - 1 
Grangenovlan 
Yvonne Murphy  0 - 4 (0-3 Frs)
Sharon Conway 1 - 0
Donna Berry  0 - 1  
 
Teams 
Leixlip  
1 Emer Fallon,
2 Orla Ryan,
3 Paula J McCarthy
4 Shona Killeen,
5 Niamh Lyons,
6 Aishling Savage,
7 Karen Houghton,
8 Karen O'Shea (0-1),
9 Joanna Timmins (0-1),
10 Susan O'Connor (0-2)
11 Aileen Quinn (1-0),
12 Caroline Lynch (1-0),
13Sinead Gallogly,
14 Maria Moolick (0-6),
15 Sinead McHugh (1-0). 
Subs
Catherine Grier for S Gallogly (40 min), 

Grangenovlan 
1 Carol Keogh,
2 Emma Hannigan,
3 Ann Hughes,
4 Lorraine Doyle,
5 Emma Quinn,
6 Donna Berry (0-1),
7 Niamh Cunnane,
8 Brianne Leahy
9 Kate Leahy,
10 Aileen Duffy,
11 Julie Cunningham,
12 Naomi Nolan,
13 Sharon Conway (1-0)
14 Joanne Cullen,
15 Yvonne Murphy (0-4), 
Subs
Colleen Leigh for N Nolan (49 min),
Jayne Conroy for E Quinn (49 min). 
Referee:  Shay Hurson (Lucan) 
Report By:  Tom Ryan Tweet

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