Ballymackey U12 girls got their season underway with a comfortable win over Shinrone to set up a cup semi final with Killavilla , it was great to see 17 players togged out and they all acquitted themselves well. The first half started cagey enough before ballymackey midfield of Lisa Fitzgerald and Olivia Fitzpatrick were able to get on top and drive the team forward resulting in goals for Mioda O Shea and Mya McGrath making her debut for the club, after half time Mioda and Mya were on the scoresheet again and the scoring was completed by Allanah o Dwyer and Olivia Looby, the defense was interchanged throughout and was made up of Grace Kilgannon (also making her debut for the club), Niamh Kennedy, Charlotte Deegan, Anna Fitzgerald and Sophia Kennedy and were backed up by goalkeepers Molly Shelley in the first half and Emma O Connell in the second and between them they were resolute throughout to ensure a clean sheet. the wide midfield players of Mary Kate Purtill, Saoirse Ryan, Molly Conway and lLilly Kate Kenneally worked tirelessly and created some good goal scoring opportunities. It was a great team performance in which all the girls contributed.
Ballymackey U18 A Boys drew 3-3 with BT Harps in Templemore Eamon White with a brace and Paudie Williams were on the score sheet. The lads showed good character to battle back from a 2 goal deficit at half time
Ballymackey Senior Women lost 4-1 away to a fine BT Harps side. We were 2 down within 25 minutes as we found it hard to deal with BT Harps ability to exploit the space between our defense and Goalkeeper. Some slight adjustments to our set up on the half hour saw us gain some footing in the game. A good start to the Second half saw us back in the game when Dani Slattery crashed the ball to the net for her first goal for the club and what we found out later was her first ever goal.
Ballymackey pushed strong for an equaliser and were playing really well, but as we committed strongly to attack we were caught on the counter for Harps 3rd leaving us with a huge task with time running out. The Girls gave it everything. Niamh O Brien fantastic surge out of Defense determinately going past 3 to make the byline and put in a great cross that was inches of Joanne O Briens foot was a highlight moment of our game. Very late on Harps got the insurance 4th with a free kick Áine Tuohy simply couldn't see in the fading light.
4-1 did not reflect our efforts, but there was no shame in loosing to a very good BT Harps side. Loads of positives and loads of learning to take from this. We have a very young based side that are finding there feet and competing well in a high standard North Tipp section of the Women's League and we are glad to be riding the wave of the rising tide of Women's Football in Tipperary.
Again this was a game that deserved spectators and we hope people get to see some matches before the Season end. We had eye catching performances from Caoimhe Carey, Michaela Lillis and Kate Cavanagh and our player of the match was attacking full back Niamh O Brien.
