Ladies Junior E Championship Semi-final

Ranelagh Gaels 8-5
Ballyboughal 3-5

RANELAGH Gaels ladies footballers have made a championship final in just their first season in competitive action.

The team was only set up little more than 12 months ago and entered competition earlier this year, making their final appearance an incredible achievement.

On Wednesday night they travelled to Ballyboughal in North County Dublin and overcame a determined home team in the semi-final.

The scoreline may suggest an easy win, though in reality it was anything but with Bougal hammering on the door for long periods.

The Gaels, who were missing a number of familiar faces midweek, enjoyed a comfortable win over the same opponents during the league, but any complacency was blown away in the opening minutes.

In a frenetic first quarter the teams matched each other score-for-score, with a goal apiece for Ger and Babs keeping the tie level.

However, as the half progressed the Ranelagh defence began to show their class.

Their blockade and the efforts of Fiona and Aoife in midfield provided the platform for the forwards to shine.

Leading by example was Babs and her quick-fire 2-01 helped the Gaels into a lead which they never let slip.

Following on from Claire Reeve‘s goal, a delightful chip from thirty yards, further goals from Marie and Fiona and a point from Laoise left the Gaels with a 7-02 to 3-02 half-time lead.

While the first half was dominated by the scoring pyrotechnics from the visitors, the second thirty minutes was an altogether different affair.

Despite the best efforts of Ballyboughal to force themselves back into contention they were continually repelled by a powerful Ranelagh backline.

With Lil and Aioife dominating the central positions, and ably supported by Caoimhe, Mags, A.M., Kate and Sarah, the Gaels restricted their opponents to just three second half points.

In response, Babs, prior to her substitution for a well earned rest, hit a wonderful goal from distance. The Gaels scoring was completed with points by Laoise and Lil.

All thoughts now turn to the county final, with manager Ronan Murphy and his assistants Denis Doolan and Brian Regan facing many tough selection decisions as competition for places hots up.

The Ranelagh Gaels Ladies returned to winning ways with a well deserved away victory against Ballyboughal on Wednesday evening.

Still smarting from their first defeat of the season on their previous outing, the Gaels began as if determined to erase the memory of that reversal.

Although missing some key players, such as Lil, Martina and Claire, Ranelagh were bolstered by the return of Laoise at centre-forward, whose class was immediately underlined by two well-taken points to open the scoring.

Indeed, this opening phase of the game belonged to the away team, with an impressive half back line of Mary, Edel, and Kate acting as a springboard for constant Gaels pressure.

Enjoying an advantage in both territory and possession, the Gaels’ superiority finally began to be reflected on the scoreboard as Kirstie embarked on a scoring spree, helping herself to a total of 2-02 as the first half progressed.

At this juncture the Ranelagh forwards were causing the Ballyboughal defence all sorts of problems, with Laoise, Ger, Claire Larkin and, in particular, Fiona, dominating their markers.

Unfortunately, a series of wides halted the Gaels scoring progress, while the Ballyboughal girls, cheered on by a sizeable home support, began to exert some pressure of their own.

The ten minutes preceding half-time saw Ballyboughal begin to reel in the Gaels, with the latter only enjoying a slender four point lead at the half-time whistle.

Any thoughts the home team may have harboured of achieving a notable comeback were quickly extinguished on the resumption of play, with the Ranelagh girls now playing some of their best football of the year.

The catalyst for this impressive performance was undoubtedly Aoife Long in midfield, her work-rate and link-up play driving the Ballyboughal team to distraction.

With all avenues to the Gaels goal-mouth shut off by a most solid full-back line of Caoimhe, Claire Gleeson and Mags, and complimented by the goalkeeping skills of Patricia, it fell to the forwards to finish off the game.

Spreading the scores more evenly in the second half, Laoise, Kirstie, Ger and Maria all registered points, with Maria also finding the net with a well taken goal.

On her final appearance for the Gaels before departing for Australia, corner-forward Sile was denied the perfect send-off as two goal scoring chances were twarthed, the first to an excellent piece of goalkeeping, while an obvious foul denied her on the second occasion.

Unfortunately the omens appeared to be against the Gaels girls from the beginning, with heavy traffic and an unhelpful throw-in time resulting in the the Gaels starting with only fourteen players.

Compounding this numerical disadvantage was a strong wind which favoured Scoil for the first half.

However, it must be conceded that the opposition were a formidable unit, with a dominant figure at full-forward supplying plenty of ball for a powerful half-forward line to exploit.

Although somewhat rattled by an initial onslaught, the Gaels defence, reinforced by Lil, and driven on by Edel and Claire, eventually came to grips with the situation.

Indeed, the Scoil half-forwards now had the rather unforgiving task of attempting to keep tabs on Mary and Lil as they sped forward from the half-back line.

Midfield also began to stamp their authority on proceedings, with Aoife, as per usual, perpetual motion, always at the heart of the action.

Having made hay when the wind blew, Scoil enjoyed a good half-time lead and continuing Gaels’ bad luck the wind died down signficantly after the change of ends.

Despite conceding two quick scores on the restart, the first twenty minutes of the second half saw the Gaels more than match their opponents, with the game developing into quite a contest.

Kirsty’s class inevitably began to cause all sorts of problems for the Scoil defence, her series of points awakening the real possibility of a comeback.

Such optimism seemed to be confirmed when Kirsty slotted home a well taken goal after an incisive one-two with Claire Larkin. The Gaels attack now began to enjoy the occassion, with Fiona, Mags, Maria and Ger finally getting the breaks their efforts deserved.

As the game entered the home stretch, an injury to Ger appeared to halt the Gaels momentum, with perhaps the unrelenting tempo now beginning to tell on weary legs.

Without question Scoil dominated this final period, with only inspired goalkeeping, the resolute defending of Caoimhe and a hobbling Patricia, and the tireless tracking of Kate halting the Scoil advance.

Although disappointed with the result, the Gaels came away from the game with many positives, many taken from observing (and matching) an excellent football team at close quarters.

The Gaels will undoubtedly play much worse than on Wednesday evening and win so this was a valuable learning experience.

Unfortunately, due to an administrative mix-up the scheduled league game was unable to take place, but both teams were happy to avail of the opportunity for some match practice.

Making their customary fast start, the Gaels sped into the lead, with centre-forward Laoise helping herself to three points.

The forward line as a whole were particularly impressive in this first half, the hard-running of half-forwards Kate and Aoife complimenting the dominant midfield pairing of Edel and Kirstie.

The Gaels closed the half enjoying a 2-05 to no score advantage, the goals courtesy of Kristie and Fiona, with an excellent point from Aoife.

Much to their credit, the Robert Emmet’s girls responded to this daunting scoreline with a much improved second half showing, finishing with six well taken points. Faced with this resurgent challenge, the Gaels defence really came into their own.

Taking their example from full-back Claire Glesson, centre-back Geraldine and new girl Lil, the defence held firm despite constant pressure. The Gaels scoring was completed with a well deserved point by Kate, finishing a move which had begun with some excellent defending from Miss versatile Mary.