Moate Community School reach first ladies soccer Leinster final
This first year ladies FAI Leinster League semi-final took place in Killeshin, Laois between Moate Community School and Gorey Community School. Moate see themselves through to a first ever ladies soccer Leinster final for the school, after a 3-1 victory.
The Moate girls applied pressure early in the match and showed great intensity in their play as they managed to create a chance on goal inside the first two minutes of play. However, they were called offside and almost immediately a long kickout from the Gorey goalkeeper caught the girls out and Gorey took a 1-0 lead four minutes into the match.
Gorey’s strikers needed stopping as they hit the post with another good attempt on the Moate goal in the 10th minute. Moate fought hard to bring themselves back into the match and were unlucky not to level it with a quick counter attack that couldn’t quite find the target in the 15th minute. A fine piece of defensive work was then shown by Moate's Lucy Martin as she stripped Gorey’s goal scorer of the ball in a one-on-one battle.
Moate were retaining possession well but failed to get a strike on target until the 25th minute when Heather Touhey forced an incredible save from the Gorey keeper. Moate went in 1-0 down at half time with a big second half needed to secure them a spot in the Leinster final.
Moate started off the second half in idyllic fashion as Leah Concannon finally put one past the Gorey keeper. From there Moate upped the intensity of the game and created many chances for themselves from corners, free kicks, and from play. Heidi Murray’s effort in the 30th minute was particularly unlucky not to go in. It was two minutes after that chance that Leah Concannon once again found the back of the net for Moate to put the girls ahead on a score line of 2-1. Leah was in flying form in this match with two fantastic finishes.
Moate kept applying pressure with a free kick taken by Leah Concannon just put over the cross bar, and Doireann Keena was unlucky not find the net with her chance soon after. A free kick from Gorey almost tied things up, but a quick kick out from Moate’s keeper Caoimhe Brady afterwards found Chloe Malone who took on the Gorey defence and slotted Moate’s third goal, making the score 3-1.
Moate retained possession well for the rest of the match and ended up the victors; earning themselves a trip to the Leinster final after an incredible second half performance. Gorey found it very difficult during the match to break down Moate, as there was a fantastic defensive display throughout the game from Lucy Martin, Sarah Young and Ríona Foley.