Ballymackey Women kicked off their Combined Counties Football League Women's Division campaign with a 3-0 home win against Bealnamulla Ladies. The Roscommon based side were making a welcome return to the League after a few years absence. Ballymackey started brightly and Thia McCarthy was unlucky to see a deft volley come back off the underside of the crossbar. Ballymackey took the lead on 23 minutes, Allison McDonnell and Amber DeLewis linked up brilliantly with DeLewis finishing to the net. Bealnamulla had their best period early in the second half and Ballymackey struggled for 15 minutes to gain control of the ball, but the Ballymackey back 4 and keeper were very solid in this period and the visitors did not overly threaten the home goal. Ballymackey eventually settled their play down and took the game to Bealnamulla and searched for the second goal that would put some daylight between the sides. It came at the midpoint of the half. Super link up play between Amber DeLewis and Seonaid McGuigan gave McGuigan a sight of goal but her shot was brillantly blocked. McGuigan wasn't denied for long as from the resultant corner her wicked delivery went all the way to the net. With 15 minutes to go the match was made safe Joanne O Brien finished to the net from a excellent cross from Amber DeLewis.
A 3-0 win was a great result against a strong Bealnamulla side that is well stacked with quality players, they will no doubt have a big say in the League once there players settle in together.
It was a good performance by a Ballymackey side that is definitely benefiting from a good preseason and the strength in depth of the side is there to see with the strong side that took the field showing 5 changes to the side that fielded in their last competitive outing in Mays Cup Final. It was great to see Alanna Morris return to the fold with the side after a couple of years away and we had competitive senior debuts from Leah Darcy and Amber DeLewis with Amber giving an exhibition of centre forward play in a player of the match performance.
