Senior Ladies Championship Semi – Final.
Sat 16th Sept 2006.
St Galls 1-8 St Brigids 1-6.
Mayo may have underperformed against Kerry and come out as losers, heads bowed, but St Brigids Ladies can walk tall with their heads held high despite being beaten in a close encounter at Antrim’s H.Q. on Saturday evening. At half time they went in one point to the good, perhaps ruing their many missed chances. By the end of play the Blue of St Galls was victorious by two points and will meet Creggan in the final.
The low scores accumulated by both sides in the opening half hour belied the quality of the game. It was certainly tense stuff with both sides showing nerves and lack of familiarity with the vast acres of Casement Park. If possession and pressure within the opposition half alone won games then the Blue and Golds would have won hands down. Eleven misses, hitting the crossbar and dropping two shots into the goalkeeper’s hands in the opening thirty minutes bears testament to that. Unfortunately for them the team with the most scores at the end wear the laurels.
. All St Galls first half scores came from frees while Caoimhe Mc Cullagh took the first for St Brigids and Orla Montague put over the other two, all from open play.
The second half saw the favourites come out much stronger. Whatever was said at the break worked and their backroom team kept working hard throughout the game with instructions and observations flying over the airwaves by way of walkie-talkie. St Galls opened up a two-point lead but coruscating runs through their middle by the midfield pairing of Mairead McNally and Fionnuala Toner kept Naomh Brid in contention. Anna Finnegan hit one free and two more from play but the defining moment was a St Galls goal hit so well that the St Brigids keeper had no chance. Whilst the crowds in the stands sensed it was over that message didn’t reach the pitch. Aoife Mc Sherry and Rachel Mc Keogh battled in the halfback line and worked the ball to young Anna. She had only one thought in mind and coolly placed the ball in the back of the net. Showing their experience however St Galls took another point and it was all over.
The large crowd enjoyed this first Ladies fixture at Casement. So too did the victorious St Galls girls. Their near neighbours across the motorway left saddened but still proud.
