Loman's pay penalty as Milltown win

Milltown 4-10 St Loman's 2-9

A penalty from Leanne Slevin in the final ten minutes helped to steer Milltown to a third-consecutive victory against a particularly gutsy and creative Loman’s side in Milltown GAA on Thursday evening last in warm, but windy conditions.

Early signs were that this would be a tricky game in terms of scoring as neither side was able to account for the awkward wind swirling across the pitch. The home side put on the early pressure but Slevin saw shots drift wide or short, before at the other goalmouth, Ciara Blundell made no mistake in firing over a 21-yard free after being fouled.

The first half never saw either side lead by more than two in what was moving towards being a potentially higher-scoring wrangle. Clodagh Dillon brought parity before Blundell and Gráinne Byrne exchanged scores. Just as both teams had accounted for the wind, Dillon decided to sky-rocket an effort into the Rathconrath sunlight before watching as the shot hit the back of the net – debate on the bench as to who got the final touch but it is Dillon’s goal. With four minutes to half time, Vicky Carr (central to all Loman’s positive returns in the game) laid the ball off to Caoimhe Kilmurray. The Leinster rugby star used all her oval-ball running techniques to eke out a pathway to goal through a well-drilled Milltown defence before raising the green flag to put her side ahead 1-5 to 1-3.

Just as half-time approached, Tom Dillon opted to bring in Sarah Dillon and she found herself on the scoreboard almost instantly, crucially avoiding the tackle from goalkeeper Jane McKenna to roll home. Milltown were ahead, 2-3 to 1-5, at half-time.

County star Kelly Boyce-Jordan teed up Laura Kiernan who pointed as more and more frees seemed to be slowing down the game as a contest. Ellen Kilmurray was a thorn for Milltown as the Loman’s corner-back match the attacking threat of her opposite number, Nicole Feery, constantly popping up in the final third. Blundell and Sarah Dillon swapped scored before Slevin took a quick free give-and-go before curling her shot over. Soon after, Tracey Dillon maybe should have had a goal but her effort blazed over after a great assist from Sinéad Boyce.

With the score at 2-7 to 1-7, Katie Kilmurray took matters into her own hands and managed to beat Karen Walsh at her near post with a precisely accurate low shot to level it up with just over ten to play.

Within two minutes, the tide had turned again. This time, Boyce fouled in the area, allowing Slevin to calmly fire home as eyes now turned to remaining time. Kilmurray followed her goal with two more frees from in front of the posts but once Gráinne Byrne saw her attempt at a point nestle in the goals with five left, it was curtains for Loman’s.

Sarah Dillon, Boyce-Jordan and Boyce all brought up white flags near the death to cement a two-goal victory in a game where both teams can take many positives going into Round 4.

Scorers - Milltown: L Slevin 1-2 (1 penalty, 1 free), S Dillon 1-2, G Byrne, C Dillon 1-1, L Kiernan, K Boyce-Jordan, T Dillon, S Boyce 0-1 each.

St Loman’s: K Kilmurray 1-5 (4 frees), C Kilmurray 1-0, C Blundell 0-3 (2 frees), S Breslin 0-1.

Milltown: Karen Walsh; Emma Murtagh, Emma Ballesty, Nicole Feery; Laura Kiernan, Kelly Boyce-Jordan, Rachel Dillon; Leanne Slevin, Tracey Dillon; Bronagh Beglan, Gráinne Byrne, Orlaith Sheerin; Clodagh Dillon, Sinéad Boyce, Kate Whyte. Sub used: Sarah Dillon for Whyte (26).

St Loman’s: Jane McKenna; Keelie Mulderry, Muireann Scally, Ellen Kilmurray; Lara McCartan, Megan Ennis, Aileen Duffy; Annie Kilmurray, Vicky Carr; Laura Murphy, Caoimhe Kilmurray, Ciara Blundell; Shauna Traynor, Shannon Breslin, Katie Kilmurray. Subs used: Niamh McGinley for Murphy inj., (45), Bridget Heslin for Breslin (58).

Referee: Paul O’Malley (Killucan).