Dee Rangers 1-09, Donaghmore Ashbourne 1-08

Dee Ranger Ladies travelled to Ashbourne to take on Donaghmore/Ashbourne in round 4 of the division 1 league on Sunday. 

It was a beautiful day for football with a 1pm throw in. 

Dee Rangers started the game the brighter of the two sides, midfielder Lara O’Neill finding corner forward Ava Curran with a direct kick pass, Curran popped the ball over the bar to record the first score of the day. 

Dee Rangers continued to apply the pressure with centre half forward Alanna McNulty turning over the Don/Ashbourne kick out and driving directly towards goals, she slotted the ball over the bar to put her side two points up. 

Don/Ashbourne half forward Orla Shortt won her team kick out and carried the ball forward with intent, just as she took her shot Dee Ranger full back Orlaith Duff dived in with a well timed block to deny a certain score for the Don/Ash side. 

Half backs Kelly Jean Cartney and Clodagh Millington worked well together to carry the ball up the field, but were held up well by Emma Halpenny and Alanna McNulty, this allowed centre half back Alanna Reilly time to over turn the ball and work it up the wing to Anna Myles. Anna picked out midfielder Lisa Young who took off on a fine solo run, Young spotted full forward Bríona Rowe on the 45 and Rowe made no mistake, kicking the ball over to put Dee Rangers three up. 

Wing back Ellen Carolan overturned the Don/Ash kick out and carried up the wing, she gave a long ball inside to Megan Malone who hand passed off to Emma Halpenny, Halpenny was fouled and free taker Bríona Rowe popped the free over for her second point of the day. 

Holly Davis and Abbie Timmons combined well to launch a Don/Ash attack but their effort drifted wide. Abbie Timmons over turned the Dee Ranger kick out but again the shot was off target. 

Midfielder Aoibheann Shortt continued to apply the pressure to the Dee Ranger defence with an excellent pass inside to Holly Davis, corner back Aoibhin Carolan was alert to the danger and cleared the ball, Abbie Timmons overturned the clearance and was fouled as she took a shot, the ball was taken back for a free kick which was converted by free taker Clare Doherty, Don/Ash’s first score of the day, with 15 minutes on the clock. 

Eabha Maple over turned the Dee Ranger kick out and passed it off to Orla Shortt, Orla gave an inviting pass over the top, centre half  Clodagh Millington the intended target, but again the danger was well read by Orlaith Duff who intercepted the ball and put it out over the sideline to snuff out the attack. 

The subsequent sideline was cut out by Lisa Young who switched the play to the far wing, finding Alanna McNulty with a pinpoint pass. McNulty hand passed to Megan Malone who had spotted Ava Curran inside with just her marker, Malone gave a great ball in over the top which left the Don/Ash defender no choice but to foul Curran. 

Bríona Rowe stepped up and her long range effort dropped in over the keeper’s head to record the first goal of the day. 

Don/Ash responded well with a well worked point from Holly Davis after some great linked play between Isabel O’ Kane and Orla Shortt. 

Lisa Young gathered her teams kick out and carried up the field, she passed the ball out the wing to Anna Myles, who cleverly played it along the ground to Emma Halpenny, Halpenny carried it forward and delivered a pass through the hand to Ava Curran, Curran turned onto her left and popped it over the bar with ease, for her second point of the day. 

The Dee Ranger defence remained solid and forced Don/Ash to shoot from distance which resulted in two wides from play. Alanna Reilly worked the Dee Ranger kick out up the wing to Alanna McNulty, McNulty spotted Megan Malone inside and gave a dangerous high ball inside, Don/Ash keeper read the ball well and cleared her lines but was deemed to have fouled a Dee Ranger player in doing so, Bríona Rowe converted the free to further stretch her sides lead. 

Anna Myles won the Don/Ash kick out and passed up the wing to Megan Malone, Malone again spotted danger woman Ava Curran inside and fed her a great ball, corner back Afric Murray stuck tight to Curran and forced her to play the ball back out to Emma Halpenny who switched the play to Alanna McNulty, Alanna kicked the ball over from play to finish a fine passage of play from the Dee Ranger team. 

Don/Ash needed a score and Eabha Maple was determined to get one, she made an excellent solo run up the field, she was held up well by Orlaith Duff but was able to lay the ball off the full forward Clare Doherty who thundered through the Dee Ranger defence and finished to the roof of the net with an excellently executed goal. 

Spurred on by this excellent score Don/Ash were on the attack again, Aoibheann Shortt gave a quick ball into Isabel O’ Kane who laid it off to Abbie Timmons, Timmons shot low and hard but was unlucky to be denied by the post. Ellen Cassidy was quickest to respond and pounced on the loose ball, she played it up the wing to Aoibheann Sheehy, Sheehy delivered a good ball into the full forward line but it was cut out by Don/Ash and kicked up to Clare Doherty who was fouled, Doherty took the free quickly and Abbie Timmons plucked it from the sky, she had a goal on her mind but the Dee Ranger defence worked well to deny a score and the half time whistle was blown much to the relief of the Dee Ranger supporters. 

Half time score: Dee Rangers 1-07 Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-02

Don/Ash started the second half brightly, full forward Clare Doherty kicking a score from well outside the ‘two point line’ thankfully for Dee Rangers it only counted for one! 

In the next five minutes Dee Rangers kicked two wides and hit the crossbar, the supporters commented that these missed opportunities could prove costly later on in the game. 

Don/Ash recorded their second score of the game, another point from a Clare Doherty. 

Dee Rangers lead was down to three. 

Midfielder Lisa Young and wing back Anna Myles linked up to feed centre half forward Alanna McNulty who made a direct run at the Don/Ash defence, she was fouled and Bríona Rowe converted the free to put four between the sides again with ten minutes gone in the second half. 

Dee Rangers next attack was cut out by corner back Marie Heffernan and passed on to Orla Shortt, Shortt was fouled and sharp shooter Clare Doherty again popped the ball over the bar. 

Keeper Sinead Carolan played a short pass to her full back Orlaith Duff, Duff hit Anna Myles on the wing with a perfect pass and Myles found Aoibheann Sheehy inside, Sheehy charged at the Don/Ash defence and was awarded advantage by the referee, Sheehy fisted the ball over the bar to keep four between the sides. 

Isabel O’Kane kept the Don/Ash score board ticking over with a fine individual point from play. With three between the sides and less than ten minutes left on the clock, Don/Ash had a lot of possession and a few chances to convert scores but their shooting let them down. With three minutes left on the clock Clare Doherty converted a free to leave two between the sides. 

Isabel O’Kane won the Dee Ranger kick out and drove forward feeding the lively corner forward Holly Davis who put the ball between the posts to leave just one point between the teams. With just one minute remaining on the clock, Don/Ash were awarded a free kick, Clare Doherty stepped up but her shot dropped slightly short and was put out for a 45 by the Dee Ranger defence, Don/Ash had one more opportunity to level the game. The 45 was taken off the ground and struck well, making its way all the way to the Dee Ranger number 1 Sinead Carolan, Carolan calmly dealt with the ball and played it out the wing to Ellen Carolan. 

The referee blew the final whistle and Dee Rangers were relieved to come away with the win. Final score Dee Rangers 1-09, Donaghmore Ashbourne 1-08. 

Well done to both sides on a very sporting game of football. 

Dee Rangers round 5 is a home game against Navan O’Mahonys, details tbc. 

Dee Ranger team: Sinead Carolan, Aoibhin Carolan, Orlaith Duff, Ellen Cassidy, Ellen Carolan, Alanna Reilly, Anna Myles, Lara O’Neill, Lisa Young, Aoibheann Sheehy (0-1), Alanna McNulty (0-2), Emma Halpenny, Megan Malone, Bríona Rowe (1-4), Ava Curran (0-2). 

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