NA DUBH GHALL 3-11 GOOD COUNSEL LIFFEY GAELS 2-6
Sunday 20th October will go down as one of the great days in our clubs history as our Under 14 Girls claimed NDG’s first Championship win.
Storm Ashley might have made conditions very tough for football but it didn’t stop the NDG supporters attending in huge numbers. Our sideline was a sea of Black and White as the club turned out in force to cheer on this fantastic bunch of players.
NDG played with the elements in the first half and knew they needed to build up a lead. Good Counsel Liffey Gaels were proving to be dogged opponents though, and our girls were finding those scores hard to come by in the early stages. However, there was no panic and the good football was rewarded with a flurry of points in the closing stages of the half.
Then on the stroke of half time, a brilliant flowing move from midfield ended up with the ball in the hands of Maeve, who fired a low shot to the bottom corner. This gave us a half time lead of 1-9 to 0-1. However, with the strength of the wind, the team were under no illusions that it was still going to take a huge effort to see it out.
This was further underlined when Good Counsel struck for two goals in the third quarter and our sizeable lead was cut in half. Lesser teams would have crumbled but this group has great spirit and rather than feeling sorry for themselves, they dug even deeper to weather the storm.
While our supporters were getting nervous on the line, the girls looked in total control on the pitch, playing with great confidence under pressure. They slowly turned the game back in their favour and got their just rewards when the ref awarded a penalty to NDG, which Rachel coolly dispatched to the net.
If there were any remaining doubts, they were soon dispelled when Sophie fired home a third goal late on to put the icing on the cake. Shortly after that, the final whistle sounded to bring great scenes of jubilation and joy.
The win can be attributed to the strength of the panel as every single player contributed significantly, fighting for every ball and showing a determination to work hard for their team mates.
On such a historic day, the club would like to thank the following:
– The coaching team who have put in so much time and effort with the girls. Their dedication to improving the team was very much in evidence in that performance.
– Our supporters who turned out in great numbers. In tough close games like this, a large vocal support really helped the team get over the line.
– An excellent and sporting Good Counsel Liffey Gaels team, who contributed to a great game of football.
Finally, the story doesn’t end here as the girls are also in the Camogie final on November 10th (venue and time to be confirmed). Hope to see similar support on that day as the girls look to compete the double.
DG TEAM: Sarah Yates (Captain), Abbie Feeney, Hannah Higgins, Leah Burke O’Driscoll, Emily Keating, Katie Herbert, Hannah Purfield, Annaleigh Murphy (0-6), Rachel Lambert (1-2), Maeve Finn (1-0), Olween Doyle, Ellie McCroary, Sophie Feeney (1-2), Melissa O’Reilly (0-1), Tess Comiskey, Nicolette Robbertse, Nadya Barteneva, Robyn O’Sullivan, Molly Herbert, Millie McArdle
