provincial glory for largy college
December 31, 2007
For 2006/2007 nobody said that it was going to be easy, and it wasn't. But the girls teams in Largy College were prepared to roll up their collective sleeves and get back down to some hard training at the beginning of September with their coach Mary Croarkin.
Training took place at lunch-times, after school, during the February midterm and even during the Easter break. The U19 competition was now labelled U20 so to include a lot more of the Northern schools. During this season Largy Colleges' U20 Girls football Team recorded victories over Beech-Hill (County Final), St. Michael's Armagh (Ulster Quarter Final) and Ballymena High School, Antrim (Ulster Semi-Final). Then on the 3rd March 2007 the Largy girls won their third Ulster Title in four years when they beat St. Josephs Donaghmore, Tyrone in the U20 'B' Final by 1-15 to 2-11 in St. Tiernachs Pairc, Clones.
Largy won possession of the ball at the throw in, but St. Joseph's won the ball back in defence and proceeded up the field to score a goal. Largy keeper Nakita Cassidy could do nothing about it, as the ball sailed into the top of the net. A disastrous start, but the Largy girls kept their heads up and believed in themselves. It took Largy 10 minutes to actually settle into the game but when they did it was like "Watch out St. Joseph`s, Largy are out to win!" After good work by Joanne Reilly and Noeleen McGuirk in defence, Laura Boylan got the ball and easily took her first point of the game. Not long after, Fabiana O'Callaghan gets a great pass from Boylan and she tipped it nicely over the bar. The nippy wee corner forward from St Josephs then cancelled that point out with one of her own.
Largy were on the ball though when Michaela Newell came racing up the pitch to score a lovely point. Lisa McConnon got a rough knock to the ground but amazingly got up again, dummied past two defenders and scored a beautiful point. Ellen McCarron was busting herself to keep that ball away from the Largy goalie Nakita Cassidy who was also doing a magnificent job. McCarron was always there to block every ball coming through and gave a few very accurate long range passes, one in particular to Rachel Boylan, who then scored her first class point out on the wing! Largy were now going through a period where they had all the possession.
They were winning a lot of the oppostion kickouts and St. Josephs were struggling to get the ball up the field. Further points from Michaela Newell (2), Laura Boylan (3) and Flavia O' Callaghan saw Largy College developing a good lead at this stage. Laura Boylan then caught a fabulous high ball, and immediately kicked the perfect ball over Fabiana O' Callaghan's head who just had to run onto it, but what a finish Fabiana made- she buried the ball in the top left hand corner of the net (the St. Josephs keeper had no chance!!). St. Josephs answered this with a point, but that was cancelled out with a further point from Largy's vice-captain Lisa McConnon. This brought us up to half time with the score been Largy 1-12 St. Joseph's 1-3.
The referee threw up the ball for the second half to begin and St. Josephs won the ball this time. They continued up the field and scored a nice point by their midfielder Emma Conlon. St. Joseph's were starting their come-back, but it was not easy for them as Largy were still putting up a great fight. St. Joseph's tried kicking the ball down to their team-mates, but Largy defender Orla King surely put her marker in her box as she made sure the ball was going into her arms only. King then blasted the ball up the pitch where captain Anita Newell received it and raced forward with it, passing it to Laura Boylan. Boylan was then fouled and she made no mistake in converting the resultant free kick. However St. Joseph's were coming back at this stage, and indeed it was them that now dominated the second half. Largy College were feeling the pressure and gave away a few free- kicks and St. Josephs were making no mistakes in putting them over the bar. Two St. Joseph girls were marking Laura Boylan at this stage, such was her dominance on the field and when she was fouled a further two times, of course she was always going to convert them. Disaster occurred then for Largy College when St. Josephs scored their second goal of the game with 10 minutes to go.
Although Largy College were still four points ahead, this goal seemed to lift the Tyrone side, and they kept pushing forward. Credit must go to Largy's Katie O Connor who had a magnificent game in the full-back position, and although under extreme pressure in the last 15 minutes she coolly cleared the ball out of defence with the help of Niamh Tierney on numerous occasions. St. Josephs scored a final three points in the last eight minutes of the game, leaving it a nail-biting time for the large Largy support in the stand. With just two minutes to go Largy were only ahead by a point, but managed to hold onto the ball in those vital last couple of minutes, and when the final whistle went the Largy girls and their manager Mary Croarkin were overjoyed. The final score in this great match was Largy 1-15, St. Joseph's 2-11.
Captain Anita Newell then lifted the Ulster Final Cup sponsored by 'Pat The Baker' on behalf of the Largy College Team. A big congratulation to Laura Boylan who received Player of the Match, and few would disagree as this player was the scorer of seven points and really showed her dominance on the pitch for the whole hour.
Largy College went on to play in the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Thursday 22nd March against Scoil Mhuire Clonakilty, Co. Cork. However there was to be no luck in the All-Ireland's series when they bowed out to this strong Cork side after a brave performance. One player commented after the game 'I can't wait to start training next year, bring it on'. The principal and staff of Largy College are very proud of these girls and look forward to watching them in action again next year!
Largy 'Ulster Winning' Team: Nakita Cassidy, Niamh Tierney, Katie O'Connor, Orla King, Noeleen McGuirk, Ellen McCarron, Joanne Reilly, Anita Newell (captain), Lisa McConnon, Laura Boylan, Michaela Newell, Flavia O'Callaghan, Rachel Boylan, Fabiana O'Callaghan, Fiona Leonard, Lisa McElvaney, Anne McKenna, Meeah O' Callaghan, Kiyah O'Callaghan, Laura Mullanney, Sarah Greenan, Donna McEntee, Anne Connolly, Aoife Leonard, Grainne O' Connell, Fiona Mulligan, Giuliana Lieghio. Student Reporters: Niamh Maguire. Goalie Coach: Edward Treanor.
Most Read Stories