Boston GAA Digest

Reports from Boston's GAA matches at the Irish Cultural Center

Ladies Senior Football: Connacht Ladies 1-13 Boston Shamrocks 5-10

The Boston Shamrocks and Connacht Ladies delivers another very exciting, open, and fast ladies senior football contest. The Shamrocks repeated their feat of two weeks ago, but in a more convincing fashion with fine displays from Mary and Linda Cronin, Alisha Smith, and Edel McGovern. It was anybody’s game until the final 10 minutes when a flurry of scores and a Sarah Cunningham goal effectively decided and exciting contest.

The game was finely balanced and at the end of the first half it was all square at 2-4 for the Shamrocks to 1-7 for Connacht Ladies. The first quarter belonged to the Shamrocks who played some great passing football. Sharon McGovern got things going with a well taken goal. McGovern tipped the dropping ball over the head of the advancing Caroline Heraty for the Shamrocks first score of the game. Then it was the Cronin sisters who reciprocated with Linda supplying Mary with the ball for one score, and then the other way around for another point. With the Shamrocks rolling and keeping things in the back line tight, thanks in large part to the efforts of Edel McGovern at full back, another goal came from Orla Heavey. Heavey was played through with a lovely ball and made no mistake from close range. Connacht settled into the game and began to win more of the ball. Sinead Ryan took advantage of free taking opportunities and the Waterford native pointed three times from frees and twice from play. Annemarie McDaid and Jane Ward had also scored to make it just a one goal difference, before the high ball in to Christina Newton paid dividends. Newton fed the incoming Louise Brett who drilled the ball into the top left corner on the stroke of half time to set up an enticing second period.

The Shamrocks had doubled their goal tally before the second half was 10 minutes old. First it was Mary Cronin who finished brilliantly from a tight angle, and shortly afterwards it was Linda who put away a penalty after McGovern was fouled in the large square. It was still close though. Connacht had pointed through Ryan and Ward and following the goals through Brett and Ryan and there was just the two points in it. The Shamrocks then powered it home with some fine performances. Alisha Smith in the middle of the field won a healthy amount of ball and at wing back Niamh Lonergan turned on the after burners on a few occasions. The key to the game was a sequence of points from the Caherciveen sisters. Each put a lovely point over the bar, and Linda a third to make it a six point game. Smith then fed Cunningham for the Shamrocks fifth goal and that was the game. The Shamrocks stand at the top of the table and meet Tir na nOg next Sunday.

Connacht: C. Heraty, A. Kerr, J. O’Connell, L. Burns, M. Trainor, E. McElroy, L. Ryan, K. O’Shea, L. Brett, A. McDaid, J. Wad, J. McDonagh, K. Lynch, C. Newton, S. Ryan. Shamrocks: Laurna Behan, D. Hallissey, E. McGovern, S. McMahon, A. McDonnell, B. Gallagher, N. Lonergan, A. Smith, S. Carroll, O. Heavey, L. Cronin, S. Cunningham, S. McGovern, C. Hegarty, M. Cronin.

​
Nster.com