Navan O’Mahony’s 2-14
Kilcock 4-04

A surge in the closing ten minutes of the first half laid the foundations for Navan O’Mahony’s victory in the opening round of the Leinster IFC. As anyone who witnessed these two sides do battle in 2019 would have predicted, this was a close encounter between two quality sides.

The Kildare champions opened the scoring with a point from play after only a minute had elapsed. Órlaith Mallon soon settled things for her side with a well-taken point in response. For the next ten minutes or so, there was little to separate the teams with neither side managing to pull away from the other. 

Kilcock found themselves in the lead once more when they raised a white flag from 40 yards. Olivia Callan and midfielder Eimear Fay added their names to the scoresheet for Navan O’Mahony’s before Mallon’s second point of the game. Determined to break this momentum for the Brews Hill side, Kilcock once again placed themselves in pole position with a goal after ten minutes.

Not found wanting, full forward Meghan Collins found herself in front of goal, calling for the pass. The opportunity wasn’t wasted and she raised a green flag herself. A point from Fay just before the water-break left three points in it.

Kilcock opened the scoring in the second quarter to narrow the gap but this was nullified by a 40 yard point from Aoibheann Leahy. Kilcock kicked a further two points, leaving only the narrowest between the sides.

Phil Fay’s side’s best period of the game followed. Mallon kicked two scores from frees, the first scores of the game from placed balls. A further three points from Navan O’Mahony’s closed out the half to put six points between the sides at half time. This could easily have been halved only for a crowd-pleasing save from goalie Ciara Blake, which arguably steered the course of the game.

Mallon added to the surplus with a point in the opening minute of the second half. What followed was very much a phoney war, with no score for a fifteen minute period. Super interceptions and blocks from Sophie Fitzherbert and Kate Falahee left the Kilcock forwards frustrated but they eventually found the net just before the second water-break, narrowing the deficit to four points at this stage.

Shortly after the water-break, the teams found themselves back together for an unscheduled interlude when the man in black in the middle of the park picked up an injury. Luckily, the umpire was on hand to step in and play out the remaining thirteen minutes of the game.

Mallon and Collins added points to once again push the Meath champions in front. With a few minutes to go, the Kilcock free-taker picked her spot in the top corner and made no mistake in putting the ball there. With only a kick of a ball between the sides, the Navan O’Mahony’s ladies rallied once again to hold onto their lead. An insurance point from Callan was the final score of the game.

Lily Dwyer, captain Hannah Heskin, Tara Fay and Sarah Powderly all proved crucial in their sides victory and were instrumental in the set-up of many of the scores 

This game between two well-coached, evenly matched sides was a great advertisement for ladies football at a time the game is at an all-time high in Meath. Both sides will be very much at home in their respective senior championships in 2022 but it’s Navan O’Mahony’s who progress to the quarter final, away to Longford Slashers next Saturday.

O'Mahonys: Ciara Blake, Aoibhín McKenny, Kate Falahee, Sophia Fitzherbert, Michelle Beggy, Sarah Powderly, Lily Dwyer, Tara Fay, Eimear Fay (0-03), Ailbhe Leahy, Aoibheann Leahy (0-01), Hannah Heskin, Olivia Callan (1-02), Meghan Collins (1-01), Órlaith Mallon (0-07)

Subs: Rebecca Reilly for Ailbhe Leahy

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