MATCH REPORT ERIN’S ISLE V NAOMH OLAF
NEW IRELAND ASSURANCE DUBLIN JUNIOR ‘C’ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
ERIN’S ISLE………………………….4-07
NAOMH OLAF………………………..2-10
By Daire Walsh
Full-forward Gillian McCluskey delivered an outstanding performance at Lawless Memorial Park on Friday night, when Erin’s Isle held off a late rally by Naomh Olaf to claim the Dublin Junior ‘C’ Ladies Football Championship crown.
Goals in either half from McCluskey put the Finglas club in the driving seat, and even though the brilliance of Clara O’Sullivan helped Olaf’s to remain in contention, Isles finished the contest with three points to spare.
Both sides topped their respective groups with a 100% success rate from their three games, and this increased the anticipation ahead of their clash in Fingallians GAA Club.
Playing under lights at the Swords venue, it proved to be quite a tentative opening to the action. O’Sullivan brilliantly converted a free from a distance of 40 metres to break the deadlock, and with McCluskey shooting past the target via a similar placed-ball attempt, Olaf’s initially held onto their slender advantage.
It took Isles a while to discover their accuracy in front of goal, but with 10 minutes gone on the clock, they moved into the ascendancy for the first time. McCluskey was picked out in front of goal, and she kept her head to roll the ball past Olaf’s custodian Paula Feehan.
This looked set to be a settling score for Isles, but instead it was their Sandyford counterparts who enjoyed the better end to the first-quarter. O’Sullivan registered a point at the end of a swift counter-attack, and in the 11th-minute, her speculative shot from distance dropped into the back of Kirsty O’Connor’s net.
Eimear Martain also cut inside from the left-flank to kick a magnificent point from play, and this was complimented by another O’Sullivan free. The scoring burst gave Olaf’s an early 1-4 to 1-0 lead after 16 minutes of play, but with McCluskey maintaining a powerful threat on the edge of the square, there was no reason for Isles to panic just yet.
McCluskey recorded back-to-back points to cut the Olaf’s cushion in half, and although they conceded another score to O’Sullivan, Isles had the final say in the opening period. Captain Orlaith Moran lashed over from a tight angle, but because she was fouled en route to goal, referee Reg Harbron awarded a penalty to Isles.
Nicole Mitchell stepped forward from half-back to negotiate this effort, and she cooly directed the ball past the helpless Feehan. This ensured that the sides were level (Erin’s Isle 2-2, Naomh Olaf 1-5) at the break, and it was almost impossible to predict how the tie would pan out in the remaining 30 minutes.
Both teams opted to make alterations to their line-ups during the interval, but it was Isles who were able to make the smoother transition in the third-quarter. A scramble inside their area placed the Olaf’s defence on tenterhooks, and when the ball eventually fell at the feet of McCluskey, she made no mistake with a sharp three-point finish.
The Isles tails were up once again, and 37 minutes in, a low shot by Courtney Rooney floated into the bottom right-hand corner of the Olaf’s net. Including Mitchell’s late first-half penalty, Isles had mustered up three goals without reply, and they subsequently showed that they were also capable of shooting between the uprights. Stephanie Cluskey and the increasingly-prominent McCluskey found their range from play, and another single by Aoife Reilly (following excellent approach work by McCluskey and Mitchell) gave them a nine-point advantage – 4-5 to 1-5 – on the 40 minute mark.
Olaf’s were struggling to settle into their customary attacking rhythm, although they finally responded with badly-needed points from O’Sullivan and Aoife Maher. However, Isles remained in the driving seat in the closing stages, and when they re-established their superiority with additional points from Mitchell and McCluskey, they appeared to have put the outcome beyond any doubt.
Yet, Olaf’s received a lifeline in the shape of a 54th-minute Katie Grimes goal (moments after her introduction), and this was the catalyst for a late surge by Stephen Murray’s outfit. O’Sullivan and Maher were beginning to combine to great effect, and their quick-fire scores gave Olaf’s something to play for late on.
O’Sullivan was hoping for a goal when she stepped forward to take a stoppage-time free, and even though her strike blazed over the woodwork, it left just three points between the sides.
Strong defensive work from their opponents prevented them from securing a highly-desired equalising goal, however, and despite losing McCluskey to a yellow card in a frantic finale, Erin’s Isle triumphed at the end of absorbing encounter.
Scorers for Erin’s Isle: Gillian McCluskey 2-4, Nicole Mitchell 1-1 (1-0 pen), Courtney Rooney 1-0, Stephanie Cluskey, Aoife Reilly 0-1 each.
Scorers for Naomh Olaf: Clara O’Sullivan 1-7 (0-4f), Katie Grimes 1-0, Aoife Maher 0-2, Eimear Martain 0-1.
ERIN’S ISLE: Kirsty Connor; Katie Crowe, Annemarie McCluskey, Stephanie Thomas; Lauren Shearer, Emer Carney, Nicole Mitchell; Naoise Finnegan, Tara Byrne Seery; Stephanie Cluskey, Lynne Devoy, Courtney Rooney; Aoife Reilly, Gillian McCluskey, Orlaith Moran. Subs: Leah Wheatley for Thomas, Jade Sullivan for Moran (both half-time), Alex Duggan for Cluskey (45), Kelly Coleman for Reilly (56).
NAOMH OLAF: Paula Feehan, Aileen Ryan, Eleanor Lucey, Grace Lannigan; Katie Gannon, Sue Howley, Eimear Fanning; Cathy O’Donoghue, Amy Wilkins; Sadie Lannigan, Clara O’Sullivan, Eimear Martain; Aoife Maher, Louise Rice, Vivienne Naughton. Subs: Jennifer Whelan for Lannigan, Laura Feehan for Fanning, Niamh Donnelly for Gannon (all half-time), Katie Grimes for Rice (51), Christine Carty for Naughton (57).
Referee: Reg Harbron (St Anne’s).