Senior league match reports
Division 2 Naas 2-9 Castlemitchell 1-0

Naas completed the first set of games with the maximum return in round 5 of the division 2 league. Fresh from their victory on Sunday the home team opened brightly and only for Laura Fennelly in the Castlemitchell goal could have had a couple of goals in the first two minutes. It was Aoife Trant who worked a quick one two with Shannon Doheny to open the scoring with a point. Naas were wasteful of a number of other scoring opportunities before an Aine Cummins shot rebounded from keeper Fennelly to Sarah Callinan shot to the back of the net. Naas forwards continued to mesmerise their visitors and with further points from Chloe Campbell, Shannon Doheny, Sarah Callinan, and two from Aine Cummins to leave the half time score 1-6 to 0-0. Castlemitchell tried to rally in the second half but the Naas defence stood strong and with bursts forward from Niamh Hederman, Aoife Trant and the tireless Rachel Corrigan, Naas forwards were given plenty of excellent balls to work with. Aine Cummins continued her scoring spree with a couple of well taken points.

Chloe Campbell quickly added her second of the game as Naas kept pushing forward. Castlemitchell kept playing and a long ball from Aoife May fell to Mary Lawless who took her opportunity to goal. Naas responded with the move of the game when Chelsea Crowe intercepted a pass on her own 20 meter line, she passed to Rachel Corrigan who found Aoife Trant whose pass was well kept by Chloe Campbell whose pass fell to the elusive Aine Cummins who calmly shot to the back of the net.


Division 3 Kilcock 1-8 Suncroft 2-7
The Kilcock ladies senior team surrendered their unbeaten run in division three of the league to a more physical and determined Suncroft side. When the game got underway, it was quite obvious from the start that it was going to be a fast, physical game, though conditions underfoot were not ideal and it did take both sides some time to realise that the ball was not going to bounce on the muddy surface. The home side were faster out of the blocks and when Grace White rattled the back of the net after only five minutes the signs looked ominous for Suncroft.

White had been played through one on one by Louise Keane who had caught a long ball in and quickly laid the ball off to the on running wing forward, who calmly slotted the ball past the visiting keeper. This was followed up almost immediately by a point from corner forward Laura O'Neill and though she raised the white flag, credit must also go to Emma Maguire and Shanon Byrne for their play in the lead up to O'Neills point. Suncroft were not the type of side that were just going to lie down though and hit back with three points in a row, without response, the first a well taken solo effort from Ellen Dowling, who beat at least three Kilcock defenders before slotting over from twenty yards. Triona Duggan added a second before Emma Hanlon got on the score sheet. Hanlon could have goaled though had it not been for the heroics of Eimear Kelly between the sticks for Kilcock. With Hanlon clean through, she blasted the ball at the goals only for Kelly to get a fingertip to it and tap the ball over the bar. That save was the be the first of many for Kelly and had it not been for her, Suncroft could have been out of sight by half time.

The last ten minutes of the opening period belonged to Kilcock after Suncroft had their purple patch but the girls from Branganstown will be disappointed they didn't get more from this spell than the three points. Shanon Byrne pointed well after some hard work from Shona Cagney to get the first of the three. Midfielder Caoimhe Fagan added another soon after from thirty yards and Grace White completed the treble from a placed ball. Kilcock just about shaded the opening exchanges with Shona Cagney and Mary White to thank for shoring up the defence while Orla Cagney's engine was immense as she got up and down the field throughout. One negative from the half for the home side was the loss of full forward Emma Robinson to a hamstring injury. Half time score: Kilcock 1-4 Suncroft 0-3. The second half took on a similar pattern to the first with the game ebbing and flowing from end to end and while both sides were creating chances, they weren't converting them.

In fact it was ten minutes into the second half before there was a score and it was worth the wait. Kilcock centre forward Sheena Byrne got hold of a loose ball, found some space and split the posts from all of thirty yards. This score seemed to settle Kilcock and when Grace White pointed again from a free they looked to push on from there. Kilcock's next two scores were out of the top drawer and two real team efforts. Substitute Noelle Conlon pointed after some great build up play right from the training ground, involving Shona and Orla Cagney. Caoimhe Fagan curled one beautifully over with her trusted right boot after great work from Byrne, White and Fagan herself. That score put Kilcock eight points clear and almost out of sight with fifteen minutes remaining but amazingly it was to be their last score of the game.

Suncroft began to claw their way back into a match they had looked dead and buried in. Kilcock then kicked two further wides and that seemed to affect them, they went into their shell, their half forwards started getting dragged back up the pitch and they lost all shape. In fairness to Suncroft they have a forward line as good as any in the county and their constant running at pace would cause the best of sides problems. Their revival started when corner forward Rebecca Coogan pointed with her left foot and then almost immediately Coogan tested Kelly, who again was unsurprisingly up to the task as she got down low to her left to tap the ball around the post for a '45'.

Suncroft's Amy Dunne sent in a high placed kick which took everyone by surprise including Kelly and her full back line as the ball soared over them all and into the back of the net. For all of Suncroft's pressure, they were going to need a slice of luck to reel in an eight point deficit and that was it. It left only four points between the teams with less than ten minutes remaining and Triona Duggan made that three a minute later. With Kilcock on the ropes and unable to fight back, Suncroft struck another sucker punch when Rebecca Coogan blasted the ball to the back of the net to leave the teams level.

At this stage their was to be only one winner and the visitors, with their tails up, grabbed the lead through centre back Paula Browne before Coogan put the game beyond any doubt with her second point. Suncroft could have had a third goal late on, only for sub Laura Ward to make an amazing intercepting tackle for Kilcock. Best for Kilcock were Kelly in goal who had it not been for, Suncroft could have had five or six goals. She was served well in defence by Mary Tighe, Hayley White and Shona Cagney. In midfield, the new look partnership of Caoimhe Fagan and Orla Cagney did well both individually and collectively. In the forwards, Kilcock performed admirably when on top in the first half with Sheena Byrne pulling the strings well from centre forward but it was in the second half when the pressure came on that they tended to lose their shape a little and were guilty of not finishing Suncroft off when eight points clear.

For the winners, Muireann Fagan and Paula Browne were to the fore at the back while, Rebecca Coogan, Ellen Dowling and Amy Dunne were a constant thorn in the side of the Kilcock defence. Kilcock Scorers - Grace White 1-2, Caoimhe Fagan 0-2, Noelle Conlon 0-1, Sheena Byrne 0-1, Laura O'Neill 0-1, Shanon Byrne 0-1. Suncroft Scorers- Rebecca Coogan 1-2, Amy Dunne 1-0, Triona Duggan 0-2, Paula Browne 0-1, Emma Hanlon 0-1, Ellen Dowling 0-1

Division 5 Rathangan 3-9 Castledermot 4-7
Castledermot Ladies had a great win in round 5 of the league away against Rathangan to make it 5 from 5 for the south Kildare side. Castledermot got off to the better start with a point each from Niamh Byrne and Shauna Doyle which were answered quickly by Rathangan who scored 2 points and then a goal. Rathangan led for most of the rest of the game but the girls in blue never gave up and came back from a 7 point defecit with 2 points in succession from Shauna Doyle followed by 2 goals from Catherine Horan to pull off an impressive win with the narrowest of margins. Best for Castledermot were Shauna Doyle, Michaela Nolan and Catherine Horan.

Best for Rathangan were Dawn Dempsey and Eadaoin Connolly. Scorers for Castledermot were Catherine Horan 3-0, Shauna Doyle 0-3, Leah Byrne 1-0, Michaela Nolan 0-2, Niamh Byrne 0-1, Sinead Deering 0-1. Tweet

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