Towers enjoy double success winning both ladies football and camogie titles
By Daire Walsh
Round Tower Clondalkin enjoyed a magnificent double success at the weekend, winning underage titles in both ladies football and camogie.
In Bohernabreena on Sunday, the Towers U14 girls footballers were crowned the Dublin LGFA Single Code Shield Green champions with a 4-7 to 2-10 triumph at the expense of St Anne’s.
After early points from Emma Sayce and Alannah Casey had kept them in touch, Neasa Breen and Sophie Doyle grabbed goals for the visitors. Orlagh Ni Dhubhain also worked her way onto the scoresheet and even though Anne’s responded with a major of their own, Towers still held a convincing 2-5 to 1-2 interval lead.
Their Tallaght counterparts weren’t prepared to go down without a fight, however, and turned the tables on Towers by registering 1-5 without reply on the resumption. A tricky wind was making life difficult for the Clondalkin side, but a second Doyle goal ensured that they settled back into the contest.
The teams were level pegging heading into the final 10 minutes, but Towers ultimately pushed on to claim the spoils. Backed up by the likes of Aleesha Okungbowa, Jemma Pluck, Ella Behan, Sophie Sayce, Tessi Healy and Mary Kelly, Emma Bassett produced a heroics between the sticks for Towers.
At the opposite end, having amassed 1-2 in the opening period, Breen went on to match this total in the second half. Ni Dhubháin and Bronwyn O’Loughlin also dovetailed to good effect in midfield as Towers claimed the shield with three points to spare.
In the Dublin Camogie Division Five Shield decider on home soil a day earlier, the Round Towers U15s were coming up against a Naomh Olaf outfit that had beaten them in the championship just a few weeks earlier.
Both goalkeepers – Towers’ Ella Ní Shúilleabháin and Sophie Keely of Olaf’s – were kept busy throughout the action and produced some excellent saves to keep their respective sides in contention. Nevertheless, the Towers attack eventually started to click and Tara Kelly released inside forward Kitty Quinlan for a superb finish into the top corner of the opposition net.
Captain Eabha Brady and Emma Gilvarry kept the scoreboard ticking over for Towers with the former also helping herself to a three-pointer. Quinlan added a second goal to her tally and Kelly ended the tie with an individual haul of 0-3.
Midfielder Shonagh Byrne was devastatingly effective over the course of the hour and was awarded player of the match for her tireless work in a 3-5 to 2-3 victory for Towers.
This was a poignant success for Brady, who was only recently discharged from hospital. Her club-mates were thrilled to see her returning to the field of play and following Feile final defeats in both football and camogie earlier this year, they were determined to finish off the year with some silverware to show for all their hard work.