Pipped At The Post

St James [Glenavy] 3 – 5: St Brigids Ladies[2] 2 – 6.
Sun 23rd April 2006
Just as the shadows lengthened and the sun began to set on the first real spring weekend Fionnuala Connor rattled the St Brigids net to seal a superb personal performance and end the visitors hopes of a second win. It was fitting that she should do so as she was the most accomplished player on the park and in the end had to be “man-marked”. Despite close attention she managed to evade a feisty Rachael McKeogh and ran on to take the deciding score in a tough but close contest.
The opening skirmishes were won by the home side who settled more quickly and pointed twice before young Catherine McAulay, soccer – style, pulled back a goal for Naomh Brid. The home advantage was added to when a further point and 2 goals put St James in the driving seat at the end of the half but points from Catherine Mullan and Caoimhe McCullagh kept Our Girls within touching distance.
Half time : 2 – 3 to 2 – 2.
The second half saw the Yellow and Golds put on a more determined and indeed a more complete display. Where Bronagh McKendry at full back and Michelle O’Loughlin in the middle had stood out in the first half, some positional switches and use of meagre personnel resources gave Sophie Curran at centre half back the opportunity to impress. Was it the healthy encouragement from her older sister on the sideline or the svelte figure of her father as umpire that helped her? Or the fact that Rachel Mc Geogh moved onto Glenavy’s most dangerous player and Catherine Mullan took the opposition’s number 8? Whatever it was seemed to work and the second half was as tight a game as you would want to be party to. It was truly end-to-end stuff and had the Away Team not been so profligate in their point shooting [11 wides in the last half hour] they might have carried the day. As it turned out, 4 points to 2 and that final, climactic goal meant they returned home having been beaten by 2 points .The better footballing side won but the St Brigids Ladies Reserves weren’t that far behind.