Ballykelly ladies earn final spot
August 23, 2010Stephen O'Rourke Memorial Park
Ballykelly 2 - 10
Naas 0 - 12
Ballykelly scored 1 - 4 in the final thirteen minutes of this game, to qualify for the County Final, but were made fight all the way by a tough and skilful Naas unit.
The maroon and white were forced to start without Niamh Sinnott, due to a chest infection and her influence in the forward line was missed in the opening stages. In fact, after Caoimhe Harrison hit the crossbar with the Naas keeper beaten after two minutes, the county town side got their act together to score four points without reply.
Sarah Callinan and Lisa Higgins linking up well to both score a brace. The pick of them on six minutes, when a long ball from Hilary Piggot was won by Callinan who off-loaded to Higgins, and she subsequently split the posts from 30 metres out.
However, Ballykelly woke up and started taking the game to the Naas girls, with Roisin O'Connell, Sinead Melia and Gemma Bannon to the fore.
Firstly, County Camogie star O'Connell, who lines out for Kildare in the All-Ireland Final on August 28, scored a fine point after good work by the Melia sisters. Then, Sinead Melia won a free and dropped it on the edge of the square, where Joanne Kelly punched to the net off the Naas keeper.
A stoppage for an injury to Callinan after a clash with Mary-Kate Callanan threatened to kill the momentum, but Ballykelly kicked on with Sinead Melia kicking a free from 25 metres and Bannon a fine score from 30 metres in the 17 th minute to leave Ballykelly leading 1-3 to 0-4.
Naas replied through Caroline Hill who burst through at pace beyond Mary-Kate Callanan and Jenny Hall, who were relieved to see her put it over the bar, when a goal was on.
Another injury stoppage saw play again halted, but on resumption, Sinead Melia pointed a free after Kelly was again followed. However, Naas finished the half stronger. Callinan pointed a free and Higgins levelled the game at 1-4 to 0-7, when she ran on to Piggot's pass to fly-kick over the bar. Although, if it wasn't for the bravery of Anita Dunne, the ball could have ended up in the net.
Like the start of the first, Naas got off to the flyer in the second half, with Sarah Callanan kicking three points, including two frees. Her score from play on six minutes, involved a good ball from Piggot into Higgins, who off-loaded to Callanan to put over the bar from 30 metres and leave Ballykelly in disarray.
Niamh Sinnott had been introduced at this stage for Sandra Prendergast - who had injured her knee - and it was her who scored Ballykelly's first score of the half, after Gemma Bannon was fouled.
On eleven minutes, Sinead Melia scored a lovely point off her right foot after a powerful solo run to leave one point between the sides, but two Callinan frees had Naas back in front 0-12 to 1-6 with fifteen minutes remaining.
At this point, things on the field boiled over slightly. The Naas corner-back and Caoimhe Harrison were already in the sin-bin, for a fairly innocuous incident prior to the Callinan frees. However, Naas were to have Lisa Higgins sent-off after a bad tackle on Sharon Melia and this was followed by another sin-binning for Ballykelly, when Mary-Kate Callanan was harshly judged to have fouled Callinan.
Focus eventually returned to playing and it was the drive of Sinnott, O'Connell, the returning Harrison and the younger Melia that helped Ballykelly to the victory. With Amy Lawlor playing a free role in defence, matters tightened up and Naas were unable to get the ball beyond centre-field.
Sinnott scored two fine solo points on seventeen and eighteen minutes to narrow the gap to just one point, but despite three attacks, Ballykelly were finding it hard to locate the elusive leveller.
However, they didn't need the leveller, because just after MK made her way back to the field, O'Connell won a ball in the middle and passed to Bannon who saw the run of Sinead Melia. With a burst of pace, Melia was inside the Naas backs and with the deftest of touches she found the top corner to put Ballykelly two points up with three minutes to go.
Sinnott added to her tally a minute later, after good hassling by Laura Coe and O'Connell after opening the Ballykelly scoring, closed it to with a fine point from 20 metres after a pass from Kelly, to leave the final score at Ballykelly 2 - 10 Naas 0 - 12.
Ballykelly Scorers: Sinéad Melia 1 - 3 (2 frees); Niamh Sinnott 0 - 4 (1 free); Joanne Kelly 1 -0; Roisin O'Connell 0 -2; Gemma Bannon 0 - 1.
Clane defeated St Laurence's by 1 - 11 to 1-8 and as Ballykelly and Clane won both of their Championship matches; the County Board cancelled the group game between the teams on August 24 and deemed both sides to have qualified for the final.
The final is scheduled to take place on Saturday September 4 in Naas GAA Grounds at 6pm against Clane. Subject to Confirmation.
The girls will now head back to the training field to prepare for the Final and they ask you to SUPPORT their Draw. Prizes include a Signed Kildare Jersey; a Signed Kilkenny Hurl and a Supervalu Voucher. Tickets are €2 each and the draw will take place on Saturday August 28 at 3pm in our sponsors McConville's Supervalu. Tweet
