Killer goals end Sarsfields Leinster title dreams
SARSFIELDS……………………….. 0-10
NA FIANNA………………………….. 3-03
By Daire Walsh
In spite of a brave and extremely committed performance, Sarsfields’ Leinster odyssey eventually came to an end in the Sarsfields GAA club in Newbridge on Sunday, as goals from Muirean O’Gorman, Ciara McDermott and Orlaith Egan helped to guide Na Fianna towards the Tesco Leinster Senior Club Championship title.
The Mountmellick girls will no doubt feel that the game was there for taking, but the game was marred by some horrendous weather conditions, which included several bouts of torrential rain.
This made it exceedingly difficult for both teams to play their normal style of football, and the side that was better able to adapt to these testing circumstances was always going to stand a fighting chance of coming out on top in the end. Na Fianna had been extremely impressive en route to the Leinster decider, as they came through a tight battle with Longford’s Killoe before comprehensively defeating Leixlip, but Sarsfields had been equally eye-catching in their defeats of Seneschalstown and Shelmalier of Wexford.
As expected, it did take both sets of players a while to adjust to the conditions, but it was Sarsfields who would open the scoring five minutes in when county star Tracey Lawlor confidently converted a free from 21 metres off her left-foot. Sarsfields had been on top of possession during the opening moments, so it was no surprise that they took the lead at this particular juncture.
Na Fianna had shown little of the form that enabled them to yield 5-14 against the Kildare Champions, but they soon kicked into life when O’Gorman (a late introduction into the starting fifteen instead of Ali Brien) kicked to the net from close-in after corner-forward Bernie Finlay had her shot from a tight angle parried by Sarsfields custodian Clodagh Dunne.
This gave the Glasnevin ladies a much-needed confidence boost, and they followed it up almost immediately with another major, as midfielder McDermott burst through the heart of the Sarsfields defence, before finishing low to the bottom right-hand corner of the net from all of 20 metres.
This was a major set-back to the Sarsfields challenge, as these scores seemed to come completely out of the blue. Alan George’s outfit did respond well to the concession of the two goals though, and they managed to cut into the Na Fianna lead with three scores on the bounce from Clare Conlon, Lawlor (free) and Louise Bergin, before a point for the Dublin Champions from the industrious Egan brought a halt to this scoring sequence after 20 minutes.
Sarsfields were starting to create the majority of the openings in the game though, and they were looking to make their wind advantage count before the half’s end. Even though one or two of their attacks did break down in the final ten minutes of the opening period, they did manage to restore parity just in time for the mid-way interval, as a brace of frees from the deadly accurate Lawlor, and another from play by the ever-dangerous Conlon, meant that the sides were on level terms (0-7 to 2-1) heading into the second half.
It was evident, even at this relatively early point, that there was going to be very little between the two teams, although Na Fianna would undoubtedly have been confident that the prevailing breeze would be able to swing the game in their favour during the final 30 minutes of action.
The Mobhi Road brigade certainly did have the best of the play in the minutes just after the resumption, but they were proving to be quite wasteful in front of goal, and some of their kicks towards the full-forward line were carrying too far, which meant that their potentially lethal inside line were having to come particularly deep to retrieve possession.
Wing-forward Mary Nevin had an excellent opportunity to put Na Fianna back in the lead after 39 minutes, but her 25 metre free-kick went wide to the right of the posts. This miss didn’t overly affect the Metropolitan side however, as they hit back with their third goal of the contest four minutes later when Orlaith Egan found the net at Dunne’s near post following a fine run through on the left.
This was their first score in all of 23 minutes, but in the context of the game itself, it had the potential to be the most crucial one they got in their entire season so far. Goals were really making the difference in this tie, and Sarsfields needed to re-group if they had designs on forcing their way back into the proceedings.
Unfortunately, it was their opponents who continued to create the better chances, and if it wasn’t for some wayward Na Fianna shooting, as well as some gallant defending from the likes of Jenny McEvoy and Mags McEvoy, they could have been even further behind at this stage.
As the action moved into the final ten minutes, there was still just three points separating Sarsfields and Na Fianna, but it was the latter who registered the next score, as Laura Walsh (a recent star in Westmeath’s Ladies IFC win in Croke Park) split the posts from an angle on the left.
Sarsfields did finally get their second-half account underway with a fifth Lawlor free, but Finlay soon kicked over from close-in to give her side a four-point advantage heading into the final five minutes.
It was looking quite ominous for Sarsfields at this point, but credit must go to them, as they fought right until the bitter end, as points from Lawlor and Hazel O’Connor meant the margin was down to two as the game moved into the final minute of normal time.
All they needed to swing the pendulum in their favour was a lucky break for a goal, but this didn’t materialise, and Sarsfields came up just short at the end of what has been a terrific year for all involved in the club.
SCORERS – Sarsfields: Tracey Lawlor 0-6 (all frees), Clare Conlon 0-2, Hazel O’Connor, Louise Bergin 0-1; Na Fianna: Orlaith Egan 1-1, Ciara McDermott, Muireann O’Gorman 1-0 each, Laura Walsh, Bernie Finlay 0-1 each
SARSFIELDS: Clodagh Dunne; Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Jenny McEvoy, Amy Grehan; Aisling Dunphy, Mags McEvoy, Hazel O’Connor; Alison McEvoy, Olwyn Farrell; Louise Bergin, Grace Weston, Tracey Lawlor; Clare Conlon, Emma McEvoy, Laura Marie Maher. Subs: Casey Conroy for Bergin (54 mins), Rachel Williams for Maher (63 mins)
NA FIANNA: Sorcha Turnbull; Eimear Cassidy, Lorraine O’Sullivan, Sarah Quinn; Arlene Cushen, Bronagh O’Donnell, Claire O’Hara; Alma O’Donnell, Ciara McDermott; Mary Nevin, Nadine Doherty, Laura Walsh; Bernie Finlay, Muirean O’Gorman, Orlaith Egan. Subs: Nora Stapleton for O’Gorman (50 mins)
Referee: James Flood (Wexford)