Garrycastle and Kinnegad ladies finish level in exciting contest

Garrycastle 3-12 Coralstown-Kinnegad 2-15

By Eamon A. Donoghue

Garrycastle and Coralstown-Kinnegad played out an exciting and entertaining draw in what was a fair result in this Westmeath LGFA Senior Championship at Garrycastle GAA last Thursday evening.

Both teams lost their opening round games – Garrycastle losing out to Mullingar Shamrocks, while Coralstown-Kinnegad were defeated by Goldsmiths - and both were in need of a win.

Garrycastle have a young team and are in a building process that will take time. They have some very talented young players and they will no doubt be contesting county titles in the near future, but producing good performances and staying senior should be priority for the moment.

Coralstown-Kinnegad had a blistering opening to the game. Assisted by the breeze, they had 2-1 on the scoreboard before the hosts had an attack of note.

Kiara Giles had the ball in the Garrycastle net after one minute and Therese Murray scored another goal in the third minute. With Murray adding a point, Garrycastle looked in trouble as early as the fifth minute.

Garrycastle needed something to stop the rot. In their first attack, the ball was given away and they seemed to be rattled by Coralstown-Kinnegad’s fast start.

But then up stepped one of the youngest players on the field, Amelie Henson; she first took possession off her opponent and was then fouled. Kacey Mulvihill kicked the resulting free to open the hosts account. Then Henson went after the ball again and she again turned over possession and that led to Shannon Mulvihill’s first goal. Henson was again involved in the build-up as Mulvihill kicked her second goal of the game.

The trend of the game was turning and it was Henson who was turning it. Shannon Mulvihill kicked a free after Henson was impeded heading for goal and then Mulvihill kicked another score and Henson was again the instigator.

Garrycastle actually they took the lead in the 20th minute when Henson took on the C-K defence before blasting the ball to the net past Jenny Doyle. Henson had done similar moments earlier, but her rasping shot came back off the post. The Our Lady’s Bower student had dragged her team back from the brink and into the ascendancy.

Coralstown-Kinnegad responded to Garrycastle’s scoring exploits, and Murray kicked a score late in the half, but it was the Athlone based team that were 3-6 to 2-8 in the ascendancy at half-time.

After the resumption, Giles kicked two quick fire frees to put the Kinnegad ladies back in front, 2-10 to 3-6. With the teams exchanging scores from then until the end, there was very little between them at any stage of the second half.

There were no more goals scored. Both defences became rock solid and it was Garrycastle's Erin McHugh who stood out in that department. The teak tough young defender was exceptional, not just holding up much bigger and older players but forcing them into overcarrying, and she did this on numerous occasions.

Still, late scores from Giles looked like they were going to give C-K the spoils and they were leading 2-15 to 3-11 with the clock gone red. Then once again the talented Henson looked for the ball and took on the C-K defence, before drawing a foul, and Shannon Mulvihill tapped over the free and with that came the final whistle. Overall, a draw was a fair result.

Player of the match: Amelie Henson (Garrycastle). The Mulvihill sisters did the scoring, Erin McHugh kept the defence together and young midfielders Jessica Frawley and Clodagh McCahey contributed well, but Henson, more than any other player, was the reason for her team getting the result. Henson has been a leading light at underage level many times and now she’s showing the way at adult level even though she’s still just a teenager. For Coralstown-Kinnegad, Therese Murray, Sarah O’Sullivan and Kiara Giles were best.

Scorers - Garrycastle: S Mulvihill 2-6 (0-4f); K Mulvihill 0-6 (4f); A Henson 1-0. Coralstown-Kinnegad: K Giles 1-8 (0-5f); T Murray 1-3; Sarah O’Sullivan 0-2; E Cooney and A Goggins 0-1 each.

Garrycastle - Ellen Parker; Donnahay Molloy, Alish Mannion, Aoife O’Brien; Rebecca Sleator, Erin McHugh, Mandisa Ní Chluaid; Clodagh McCahey, Jessica Frawley; Amelie Henson, Kacey Mulvihill, Eve Murphy; Shannon Mulvihill, Sarah Carter, Elaine McGovern. Subs used: Roisin Murphy, Jane Byrne, Wiktoria Wziatek.

Coralstown-Kinnegad - Jenny Doyle; Aine Brannock, Amie Giles, Donna Kiernan; Tori Coyne, Marie Cooney, Aileen Murtagh; Aileen Brannock, Kirsten Massey; Claire Taaffe, Shannon Lyons, Sarah O’Sullivan; Ella Cooney, Therese Murray, Kiara Giles. Subs used: Andrea Goggins, Chloe Carney, Niamh Farrell, Mia McDonald, Laura Lyons.

Referee - Michelle Mulvey.