Impressive Moate CS girls march into Leinster final

MCS in running for double glory

Moate CS 2-21 FCJ SS, Bunclody 1-7

By Eamon Donoghue

Moate Community School blew their Bunclody opponents away with an excellent performance at the Portlaoise GAA grounds in Rathleague on Tuesday of last week.

These two schools clashed last year and FCJ SS, Bunclody won comfortably and ended their campaign as All-Ireland runners up. This year though, Moate CS avenged that defeat impressively and commandingly.

Bunclody had the better start, with the impressive Leah Roban to the fore, while Emily Roban scored an early goal. Bunclody were in the ascendancy, 1-2 to 0-2, in the 12th minute, with Makayla Tobin Cosgrove also on the scoresheet. The energetic Alex Kelly kicked Moate’s opening scores.

Bunclody were leading 1-4 to 0-5 in the 17th minute but the Wexford school didn’t score again for some 35 minutes. Moate found their rhythm and they rolled off score after score.

Once Chloe Malone came alive and started to link up with Alex Kelly, the flow of the play was only going one way. Erin O’Faolain stepped up alongside Kelly and Malone and it got even worse for the reigning Leinster winners.

Even though Malone appeared to have a perfect score ruled out, it soon didn’t matter. Malone and O’Faolain kicked three points each, with Kelly also on target. It was Moate CS 0-10 FCJ Bunclody 1-4 at half-time.

After the turnaround, Moate rolled back into their rhythm again and they were relentless in the second half. They should have had the game out of sight by the 40th minute but they had six early second half wides and Malone had a seemingly perfectly legal goal disallowed, with no advantage played and the ball brought back for a free. But none of that deterred a fully focused and well drilled Moate team.

Moate took over completely, dominating the game to such an extent they kicked an outrageous total of 23 scores against the reigning Leinster winners. Lucy Allen was something of a lynchpin, and her work rate, grafting and willingness to cover for teammates was contagious. Allen was just one example on a team that was willing to work really hard without the ball.

Alex Kelly looks like a player with a very bright footballing future, and the Cill Óige player scored a total of 1-11 and she was involved in almost every Moate score. Malone wasn’t far behind, scoring a goal and she was also the creator of many scoring chances. Anna Ryan was also menacing and she added another 0-3 to the team’s total in the second half.

Moate pulled away in the fourth quarter. Both goals were fortunate as both Kelly and Malone were aiming for points, with the ball dropping over the head of Bunclody keeper Eimear Nolan.

But Moate were unfortunate not to get a penalty when Karrissa Burns was impeded but the referee deemed the foul was outside the parallelogram. The Westmeath side could have gone for the jugular a number of times with goal opportunities available, but they kept tapping over the points and the goals did come. They had the game won long before the final whistle was blown.

This Moate CS outfit looks like a team that is more than capable of going as far, if not further than Bunclody did last year. They have no weak link and substitutes like Heather Tuohey fitted into the team without fuss. Moate has strength in every line, with Nessa Trainor a solid and versatile full-back. In front of her, Aine Bracken tracked major threats on the opposing team, with the Moate centre half-back doing an excellent marking job on Leah Roban. Malone is the team’s heartbeat at midfield and she was well supported by Lucy Martin. They should be looking forward to the Leinster final.

They look an excellent balanced side. Three players, Kelly, Malone and O’Faolain, kicked all their first half scores. Kelly hit their opening four scores from frees in the second half. Just three players contributed their first 0-14 but it was such a team effort overall.

Every player on the team, subs included, played a part on the day. Anna Ryan was the first player outside the three aforementioned players to score, she got her first in the 52nd minute and she added another 0-2 to her total. Wearing the number 15 jersey, Aoife Ross played as an extra defender with everyone playing their part for the team.

Moate CS will now have two ladies’ teams in Leinster ‘A' finals, with their senior team having qualified last week by beating St Mary’s Naas in their semi-final. It’s exciting times for the school on the sporting front and they will be trying to winning two Leinster titles in the weeks to come.

Scorers - Moate CS: A Kelly 1-11 (0-7 frees), C Malone 1-4, E O’Faolain and A Ryan 0-3 each. FCJ SS, Bunclody: E Roban 1-2, A Tobin Cosgrove 0-2 (2f), L Roban, A Somers and E Kehoe 0-1 each.

Moate Community School: Lily Daly, Marie Loddick, Nessa Trainor, Hannah Pratlett, Sophie Padden, Aine Bracken, Lucy Allen, Chloe Malone, Lucy Martin, Alex Kelly, Erin O’Faolain, Heidi Murray, Karissa Burns, Anna Ryan, Aoife Ross. Subs Heather Tuohy for Loddick (h-t); Grace Galvin for Padden, Riana Foley for Pratlett and Layla Jones for Burns all (55 mins).

FCJ Secondary School, Bunclody: Eimear Nolan, Ciara Doyle, Orla Pender, Sarah Kirwan, Alex Bowe, Jenny Nolan, Riona Byrne, Aimee Bowe, Eimear Bolger, Eimear Kehoe, Leah Roban, Orla O’Rourke, Emily Roban, Aoife Somers, Makayla Tobin Cosgrove. Subs used: Kayla Brennan for Bolger (20 mins); Sophie Fahy for Doyle (50); Lucy Nolan for Kehoe (55).

Referee: Marian Hayden (Carlow).