Moate ladies advance to last four after Wicklow trip

Leinster LGFA Intermediate Club Championship quarter-final

Moate 2-11 Annacurra 0-7

Liam O’Loughlin

Moate made the long journey to Annacurra on Saturday last a fruitful one as they overcame the home side in the Leinster LGFA Intermediate Club Championship.

Storm Boelo was raging throughout much of the country at the time but, in truth, much of the game was played in light rain and the final result was fairly clear before heavy rain came just at the end. Both sides came into this game with a win under their belts from a previous outing in Leinster. However, the Westmeath champions proved to be the better side as the game progressed and were good value for their ten points winning margin.

Annacurra played away from the road end in the opening half but any perceived advantage was not evident early on as Moate quickly settled into an attacking mode and had the first point on the board from full forward Eva Fox after three minutes. The home side responded well and scores from Georgia Horan (a pointed free) and Charlotte Doyle had them ahead by 0-2 to 0-1 with six minutes gone.

The game was being played at a brisk pace and mistakes were plentiful early on as both sides were marking tightly and underfoot conditions were slippery. Moate should have scored the opening goal after eight minutes, but Tara Hughes struck the post from close in when the goal seemed certain. However, Eva Fox had the sides level at 0-2 apiece with eleven minutes gone.

Two points from Annemarie Moran and Emily Craven pushed the midlanders into a brief lead but Georgia Horan (free) and Charlotte Doyle had the contest all square at 0-4 each as the game moved into the second quarter.

There were signs now that the visitors were settling into a more comfortable pattern of play. Their half backs began to push forward more and they had the better of the play in the second quarter.

Points from Eva Fox and Tara Hughes pushed out their tally to 0-6. Once again Georgia Horan reduced the deficit from a free but the visitors struck a decisive blow just before half-time when the busy Chloé Malone found the net to put a little daylight between the sides at the break, 1-6 to 0-5.

Moate hit the ground running on the restart. Points from corner back Áine Bracken, Eva Fox and a fine Tara Hughes goal, set up by Malone, had the Moate side ahead by 2-8 to 0-5 within five minutes.

They began to play with the confidence a nine-point lead gives. Fox pointed again before Horan's pointed free provided some response from Annacurra.

The home side won a penalty as the game moved into the final quarter but substitute Shauna O’Shea’s shot shaved the wrong side of the post.

The tempo of the game dropped off in the final quarter as the result became clear. Annemarie Moran and Horan (a free) exchanged points as Storm Boelo began to drain the storm clouds again.

Moate will now meet Clonee of Wexford in their Leinster semi-final tomorrow (Saturday), October 31. For the third Leinster fixture in a row, Moate will have to travel, with McCauley Park, Bellefield in Enniscorthy the venue (throw-in 2pm).

Player of the match: The player of the match could be selected from a number of the Moate candidates. Niamh Palmer, Vanessa O’Brien, Therese Geoghegan, Annemarie Moran and Eva Fox would all have deserved claims. For this observer, however, Chloé Malone gets the vote. She scored the first goal, made the second and was liable to turn up anywhere on the field in a tireless hour of support play.

Scorers - Moate: E Fox 0-6 (1f); T Hughes 1-1; C Malone 1-0; A Moran 0-2; Á Bracken and E Craven 0-1 each. Annacurra: G Horan 0-5 (5f); C Doyle 0-2.

Moate - Grace Coughlan; Áine Bracken, Louise Payne, Niamh Palmer; Holly Keenan, Lorna Flanagan, Vanessa O’Brien; Therese Geoghegan (captain), Annemarie Moran; Emily Craven, Stacey Holloway, Lara Deehan; Tara Hughes, Eva Fox, Chloé Malone. Subs used: Aoife Ross, Caroline Malynn, Ella Grennan.

Annacurra - Emma Kirwan; Emma Healy, Claire Heffernan (captain), Siofra Byrne; Kate Healy, Liadan Agnew, Alannah Murphy; Sarah Doyle, Hannah Doyle; Danielle Shannon, Laci-Jane Shannon, Doireann Killoran; Isabelle Doyle, Georgia Horan, Charlotte Doyle. Subs used: Lucy Weld, Jade Shannon, Colleen Clune, Shauna O’Shea.

Referee - Barry Redmond (Wexford).