There was a large crowd in attendance as Ballymackey Women welcomed Willow Park to Ballinree for their last Combined Counties Football League Women’s division game of the season. As the table stood going into this game a win for Ballymackey would secure the League title and a win for the visitors would allow them to win the league in their 1 remaining match. Ballymackey started brightly with Kate Cavanagh to the fore and Allison McDonnell causing trouble in attack. Ballymackey had the best of the possession in the first half, but a good Willow side were dangerous on the counter and Ballymackey’s defence had to be at there best to limit Willows sight of goal. The best chance of the half fell to Joanne O Brien who was deputising as captain for the injuried Lisa Toohey, the ball fell to O Brien 20 yards out and she smashed her shot off the crossbar, the ball rebounded off the back of the Willow net minder but somehow cleared the upright and behind for a corner. The score was 0-0 at half time but Ballymackey were well pleased with their first half performance.
A great start to the second half saw Ballymackey have 2 great early chances but both were spurned by wayward finishing and good goalkeeping. Willow had their best spell for the next 15 minutes and Ballymackey rode their look on a couple of occasions. Ballymackey recomposed themselves and took back control of proceedings and patiently set about getting getting the crucial break through goal. The Ballymackey front 3 were causing all sorts of bother for the Athlone sides defence and it was no surprise when Christine O Keefe struck home with a great finish high to the net with 17 minutes remaining in the match. Ballymackey continued to play on the front foot and doubled their lead on 82 minutes when Joanne O Brien smashed home Kate Cavanagh’s super corner delivery. Ballymackey managed the game out well from there with O Keefe and Amber DeLewis going close to extending the home sides lead, but the score remained 2-0 at the final whistle. It was a super performance by Ballymackey in a great game that was a fantastic advertisement for the Women’s game. There were outstanding performances all over the field with all 12 players who played rising to the occasion and delivering, sustaining a high tempo to the final whistle. Chloe Whyte had a storming game, Amber De Lewis terrorised the Willow defence and took some serious punishment as 3 players were yellow carded trying to stop her play. The player of the Match was Christine O Keefe who covered every blade of grass on the pitch working her socks off and she still had the energy to be in the box to get 5 shots at goal and one goal. Unfortunately even though the table shows Ballymackey in a unassailable position at the top of the League table the League trophy could not be presented to Ballymackey on the day as a protest of a result between 2 other sides must be heard before the League can be awarded. Hopefully this matter is cleared up this week and the girls can celebrate their League success. The match concludes a super League campaign by the girls and it’s a huge achievement to be sitting top of the table after 14 rounds against some really top class opposition. The girls are far from finished with an outing in the FAI Amateur Shield in Limerick next week and a big Counties Cup Semi at home to Bealnamellua to come also.
A great start to the second half saw Ballymackey have 2 great early chances but both were spurned by wayward finishing and good goalkeeping. Willow had their best spell for the next 15 minutes and Ballymackey rode their look on a couple of occasions. Ballymackey recomposed themselves and took back control of proceedings and patiently set about getting getting the crucial break through goal. The Ballymackey front 3 were causing all sorts of bother for the Athlone sides defence and it was no surprise when Christine O Keefe struck home with a great finish high to the net with 17 minutes remaining in the match. Ballymackey continued to play on the front foot and doubled their lead on 82 minutes when Joanne O Brien smashed home Kate Cavanagh’s super corner delivery. Ballymackey managed the game out well from there with O Keefe and Amber DeLewis going close to extending the home sides lead, but the score remained 2-0 at the final whistle. It was a super performance by Ballymackey in a great game that was a fantastic advertisement for the Women’s game. There were outstanding performances all over the field with all 12 players who played rising to the occasion and delivering, sustaining a high tempo to the final whistle. Chloe Whyte had a storming game, Amber De Lewis terrorised the Willow defence and took some serious punishment as 3 players were yellow carded trying to stop her play. The player of the Match was Christine O Keefe who covered every blade of grass on the pitch working her socks off and she still had the energy to be in the box to get 5 shots at goal and one goal. Unfortunately even though the table shows Ballymackey in a unassailable position at the top of the League table the League trophy could not be presented to Ballymackey on the day as a protest of a result between 2 other sides must be heard before the League can be awarded. Hopefully this matter is cleared up this week and the girls can celebrate their League success. The match concludes a super League campaign by the girls and it’s a huge achievement to be sitting top of the table after 14 rounds against some really top class opposition. The girls are far from finished with an outing in the FAI Amateur Shield in Limerick next week and a big Counties Cup Semi at home to Bealnamellua to come also.
