Moate find extra gear to pip Goldsmiths in thriller

Westmeath LGFA Under-16 Division 2 Championship final

Moate 3-15 Goldsmiths 3-11 (AET)

By Eamon A. Donoghue

In a game of two halves, it took extra-time to separate the teams as Moate finally saw off Goldsmiths in the Westmeath U-16 Division 2 championship final at Tubberclair recently.

On a cold, damp night, with heavy showers, both teams gave everything in what was an exciting and good quality game. Both sets of girls threw themselves about in the splashing puddles of water on parts of the pitch, and it was refreshing to witness such a spirited contest. It was a far cry from the backwards and lateral football from adult teams.

Goldsmiths looked the more aggressive and sharper team from the first throw-in. Charleigh Seery was the standout player, her enthusiasm and fearless approach filtered through the rest of the team. Seery had an accomplice in full-forward Lily Russell and this inventive and lively duo caused mayhem to the Moate defence.

Seery got the scoring up and running in the third minute. The former Westmeath U14 captain took on the Moate defence and rattled the net. Moments later, Russell was fouled and Ericka Higgins tapped over the resultant free. Goldsmiths led 1-1 to 0-0 after just five minutes.

Moate had their own dynamic forwards, though; it was just a matter of getting possession to them. In their first real attack, started by commanding defender Aoife Ross and taken on by Chloe Malone. Katie McHugh did the rest, beating Meadhbh O’Hara in the Goldsmiths goal.

Moate were getting more possession into Malone, McHugh and Eva Fox, but they were erratic with their shooting.

The Tubberclair/Tang/Drumraney outfit took over on the scoreboard. Russell scored their second goal after Seery had done the spade work.

Then Seery and Caoimhe Brady kicked scores and the Goldsmiths were 2-3 to 1-0 in the ascendancy by the 20th minute. They were the dominant team, but had put in an almighty effort in the wet heavy ground and started to tire close to the interval.

Moate had plenty in the tank. They had forwards that were fresh, waiting for a good supply of the ball. Moate kicked three scores before half-time to bring them right back into the game. Goldsmiths led 2-3 to1-3 at half-time.

The second half saw a huge turnaround; it was all Moate. Their fresher forwards were given plenty of possession and they took over. More accurately, 14-year-old Chloe Malone took over. Malone was rapid in everything she did, tackling, turning over possession and scoring at will. Indeed, she scored five of Moate’s last eight scores. Moate outscored Goldsmiths 1-7 to 0-3 in the second half, and were leading 2-10 to 2-7 with the clock gone red.

Moate had introduced super sub Sorcha Aspell, another 14-year-old, and she scored 1-1. The contributions of Malone, the accurate Eva Fox and substitute Aspell looked like they would be enough to give Moate the title against all the odds at the interval some 30 minutes earlier.

Yet Goldsmiths had Seery and she pulled her team back into the game with minutes left, going further out the field, winning possession and then taking on the Moate rearguard. Her work paid off as Higgins scored a late goal to bring the game to extra-time.

Both sides had shown great character and determination to keep themselves alive. But it was going to take another 10 minutes each way to decide the contest.

The first period of extra-time saw scores traded between Higgins and Moate’s Fox, from frees. But the crucial score came from substitute Aspell. She scored her second goal, with Malone again the instigator before Aspell's soccer style finish. Moate led 3-12 to 3-10 at half-time in extra-time

The second period was all about Chloe Malone. She kicked three excellent individual scores to see out the win. It was fitting that Malone finished the game in such a manner, because she was the outstanding player on the pitch over the 80 plus minutes.

Charleigh Seery didn’t deserve to be on the losing team. She not only lifted her team at times of most need, she was unlucky with two goal chances in extra-time. One shot smashed off the post and another was brilliantly blocked by Moate players twice to prevent a goal.

Player of the match: Chloe Malone (Moate). In the first half, Charleigh Seery looked a shoe in for the accolade. Although Seery was excellent all through, she was surpassed in the end by Malone who was colossal. Malone started at full-forward and was electric every time the ball got into her vicinity, but once Malone was moved outfield and given the freedom of the park, she literally took over the show. Aoife Ross was a commanding figure at the heart of the Moate defence. Both Aine Bracken and Emily Craven were full of energy for the 80 minutes. Katie McHugh and Eva Fox were both accurate forwards.

For Goldsmiths, Lily Russell had an outstanding first 30 minutes, though wasn’t as influential after that, but credit has to be given to Moate full-back Zara Moran who got to grips brilliantly with Russell as the game wore on. Ericka Higgins was economical from both frees and open play, while Caoimhe Brady caused Moate plenty of problems.

Key moments: For Goldsmiths, Seery hitting the post, a goal in extra-time would probably have given them the win. Some excellent blocking by Moate’s Caitlin Bastic in the first half prevented seemingly certain scores.

Scorers – Moate: S Aspell 2-1; C Malone and E Fox (3f) 0-5 each; K McHugh 1-1; A Ross, E Craven and F Hanley 0-1 each. Goldsmiths: E Higgins 1-5 (0-3f); C Seery 1-3; L Russell 1-0; C Brady 0-2, M Russell 0-1.

Moate: Niamh Seery; Grace Dolan, Zara Moran, Lucy Keane; Caitlin Bastic, Aoife Ross, Asil Skaik; Aine Bracken, Emily Craven; Kara Stenson, Faye Hanley, Layla Jones; Katie McHugh, Chloe Malone, Eva Fox. Subs: Sorcha Aspell for C Bastic (44), C Bastic for Jones (e-t).

Goldsmiths: Meadhbh O’Hara; Anna McCabe, Kari Brady, Aoibhinn McKiernan; Ericka Higgins, Mya Gill, Niamh Purtill; Ciara Gardiner, Aoife Purtill; Nicole Neary, Maisie Tormey, Charleigh Seery; Ella Brady, Lily Russell, Caoimhe Brady. Subs: Faye Slevin for Neary (42), Mya Russell for E Brady (h-t), Sophie Heald for Tormey (e-t), E Brady for M Russell (e-t).

Referee: Vinny Cox (Rosemount).