Impressive St. Lomans too good for gallant Moate

Gerry Buckley reports Powered by a first-half hat-trick from Rebecca Egan (who also added two points throughout the hour), the girls from St. Loman’s, Mullingar were decisive winners over a very wholehearted and skilful Moate side in Ballinagore last Friday evening in the Westmeath Under 14 ‘A’ final. While the winners’ full forward was undoubtedly the main difference between two well-coached teams, this was far from a one-lady show by the blue and whites. Indeed, there was a plethora of fine footballers on both sides, who contested the game in the excellent spirit consistently associated with the ladies code. A pleasant autumn evening and a large and enthusiastic crowd made for a great spectacle, and the football on offer duly matched the occasion. The Mullingar girls wore white jerseys with blue togs, while their opponents also wore white tops, but with black shorts. Thankfully, however, even fading light failed to cause identity problems for spectators and reporters. After a tentative opening by both teams, St. Loman’s went ahead with a brace of quickfire points in the fifth minute from the boots of Brigid Heslin and Lucy McCartan respectively. A minute later, Stephanie Moran opened Moate’s account and, following a missed goal chance from Michelle King, her team-mate Isobel O’Neill equalised from a converted free in the 11th minute. Brigid Heslin was soon on target from a placed ball before Rebecca Egan struck for her first goal, burying the ball to the net at the second attempt, following fine approach play by Brigid Heslin and Emer Donoghue. The latter player’s direct solo running goalwards was causing the losers’ defence untold problems and she teed up Rebecca Egan for her first point, just past the midpoint of the half. Egan soon proved her fallibility by missing a glorious goal chance. Brigid Heslin pointed after concerted St. Loman’s pressure and Moate then had a ‘goal’ from Brenda O’Brien disallowed at the other end for a ‘square ball’ offence, but Michelle King compensated with a successful 25-metre free, with four minutes remaining in the first moiety. A minute later, Rebecca Egan poked home her second goal and the ploy of playing direct ball to her worked again in the second minute of added-time, when she completed her hat-trick by blasting the ball past a stranded Sorcha Galvin. This left St. Loman’s, Mullingar ahead by 3-5 to 0-3 at the break. To their great credit, the young Moate girls did not throw in the towel and they started the second half in a very positive frame of mind. However, their early dominance was not reflected on the scoreboard and it was St. Loman’s who increased their advantage when Brigid Heslin pointed a 20-metre free in the eighth minute of the half. Three rapid-fire Moate points - Brenda O’Brien, Stephanie Moran and Zoe Nugent were the girls on target - left the deficit at three goals, but St. Loman’s struck for their fourth goal midway through the half, Brígh Robinson’s thunderous shot crossing the line via the underside of the crossbar. With nine minutes remaining, Moate pulled back a goal that their persistence deserved when Eimear Young found the net after good work by Brenda O’Brien. In the time remaining, both sides added a point apiece - Moate’s Stephanie Moran and St. Loman’s Rebecca Egan were the scorers. The latter player almost raised her fourth three-pointer of the hour in injury-time, but Sorcha Galvin pulled off a brave save. After the match, amid joyous celebrations, Westmeath Ladies Football Board secretary, Bernie Watts presented the shield to the winning St. Loman’s captain, Brigid Heslin. St. Loman’s, Mullingar: Aoife Woods; Orla McLoughlin, Aoife Dempsey, Una Reville; Mary Reilly, Tricia McDonagh, Aoife O’Dowd; Laoise Plunkett, Faye Maloney; Erin Barron, Brigid Heslin (0-4, 0-2 from frees), Lucy McCartan (0-1); Emer Donoghue, Rebecca Egan (3-2), Brígh Robinson (1-0). Sub: Ella Daly (for Barron, 48 mins). Moate: Sorcha Galvin; Ciara O’Neill, Niamh Geoghegan, Ceire Dunning; Nicola Mullen, Sandra Nestor, Sarah McCormack; Mairead Fox, Isobel O’Neill (0-1, from a free); Kelly-Lei Lowry, Brenda O’Brien (0-1), Stephanie Moran (0-3); Emma McCormack, Michelle King (0-1, from a free), Eimear Young (1-0). Subs: Lorna Flanagan (for Dunning, 23 mins), Zoe Nugent (0-1) (for E.McCormack, 30 mins), Jennifer Coughlan (for Nugent, 48 mins), Louise Ryan (for Lowry, 52 mins). Referee: Brendan Keena (Ballynacargy).