AIG DUBLIN FEILE FINAL DIV 6 MATCH REPORT
AIG DUBLIN FEILE DIVISION SIX FINAL
NAOMH BARROG……………………………….. 0-3
SCOIL UI CHONAILL……………………………. 0-1
By Daire Walsh
A strong first-half display paid dividends for Naomh Barrog at O’Toole Park as they narrowly overcame the stubborn challenge of Scoil Ui Chonaill in the AIG Dublin Feile Division Six final.
With Caoimhe Keohane driving them forward, Scoil remained in contention for the duration of the contest. Barrog, however, had a number of fine performers of their own and eventually squeezed through at the end of a low-scoring affair.
This was the second meeting between the two sides in as many days, after their Group A encounter on Saturday afternoon. While Scoil prevailed with five points to spare in that game (3-3 to 1-4), two wins apiece over St Patrick’s, Donabate and Fingal Ravens ensured both teams had already advanced to the knockout rounds.
Scoil recorded a hard-earned 3-3 to 2-4 win against Garristown in their last-four tie, whereas Barrog were five point victors – 3-7 to 3-2 – in their penultimate phase clash with Ballyboughal.
Determined to make amends for their earlier reversal, Barrog created a clear-cut opening in the fourth-minute. At the end of a scramble inside the square, Holly Ennis saw her strike turned away by opposition netminder Billie O’Brien.
The hard-running of Keohane offered Scoil a strong outlet at the opposite end, and Realtin Candon was also a lively presence in attack for the Clontarf Road side. She was narrowly off-target at a left-hand angle, before Barrog defender Layla Morris broke forward to kick an opening point on six minutes.
This was the catalyst for a strong purple patch from the Kilbarrack girls, with Sadhbh Quigley also splitting the posts at the tail end of a patient move. Hazel Prior subsequently stepped forward to negotiate a 35-metre free and she found her range in superb fashion.
This meant they were three points to the good after 10 minutes of play – just in time for the regulation substitutions. Keohane was bringing a great deal of energy to the Scoil play and with the interval fast approaching she once again discovered a gap in the Barrog defence.
Her goal-bound effort was comfortably saved by Siobhan Cassidy Fagan, keeping the Dublin 3 outfit’s deficit at 0-0 to 0-3 during the break. Although this threw down the gauntlet to Scoil, the 16 goals they accumulated in their four games on Saturday provided their supporters with cause for optimism on the restart.
Keohane and Abbie O’Brien had chances to narrow the gap, but they came up short on both occasions. Keohane broke forward purposely on several occasions and was desperately unfortunate to see her 26th-minute strike rebounding off the upright. Yet, Barrog dug deep in defence and looked to counter whenever the opportunity arose.
They struggled to add to their tally, though, and this kept Scoil in the reckoning towards the end of normal time. They eventually opened their account with a Candon point – after Keohane had opted for a quick free inside the Barrog ’45’. A number of stoppages led to five minutes of injury-time, when Scoil attempted to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Ultimately, a highly-motivated Naomh Barrog held firm to seal the silverware in nail-biting circumstances – with Prior proving to be particularly influential in the closing moments.
Scorers – Naomh Barrog: Hazel Prior (f), Layla Morris, Sadhbh Quigley 0-1 each. Scoil Ui Chonaill: Realtin Candon 0-1.
NAOMH BARROG: Siobhan Cassidy Fagan, Aoife O’Sullivan, Caoimhe Tierney, Layla Morris, Molly Nolan, Rionach Ni Donncha, Ruta Jakubauskaite, Claire O’Connell, Lucy O’Hanlon, Aoife McGinley, Miriam Osomoku, Jennifer Tuite, Hazel Prior, Holly Ennis, Emily Brady, Sadhbh Quigley, Roisin Mythen, Abby Motherway, Aoife McLoughlin, Alanah Masterson, Caitlin Fanning, Fiona O’Connor, Jessica Healy.
SCOIL UI CHONAILL: Billie O’Brien, Meadhbh Kavanagh, Eve Courtney, Sophia Zavalco, Pola Szymanska, Amelia Wyka, Liadan Garner, Therese De Brun, Niamh McCloskey, Caoilinn O’Sullivan Lowry, Caoimhe Keohane, Realtin Leahy, Realtin Candon, Abbie O’Brien, Evie Smith, Sadhbh Ni Philibin, Abby Redmond, Emma McGrane, Aine Kavanagh, Niamh Fleming, Freja Dillon Moloney, Ellie Russell, Sorcha Mulligan, Sara Codrea.
Referee: Tom Casserly (Lucan Sarsfields).