Goals win games has been the case in the GAA for its eternity and the same could be said in Bective for the Ladies Junior B Football Championship Final where four goals for Kilbride saw them leave as Champions.
Having lead by three points with 65 minutes played, Gaeil Colmcille coughed up a crucial goal to see the game forced in to extra time. Gaeil Colmcille’s Sarah McGillick opened the scoring in the game when she pointed inside the opening 5 minutes but Kilbride’s response was emphatic as the found the back of the net for the first of their goals.
A pointed free and a second goal saw the Kilbride girls lead 2-01 to 0-01 with a quarter of the game played and left an uphill task for the Kells girls who were yet to get out of the blocks. Cailin Grace got The Gaeils second point of the day and Gemma Clarke finished the scoring in the half with a pointed free to see Gaeil Colmcille trail by four points at the half with Kilbride ahead 2-01 to 0-03. Kells did have a goal chance in the half but Orla O’Rorke’s effort was saved by the Kilbride keeper.
Kilbride opened the second half scoring but Clarke cancelled that with her second free. Things got better for Kells and Clarke as she found the back of the net to close the gap to a single point and when Clarke pointed in the 37th minute the sides were level. The next four points were shared as Clarke and McGillick pointed for Kells to leave the game 1-07 to 2-05.
Kilbride went ahead once more and saw them lead by the minimum with 10 minutes remaining. Emma-Jane McKeon who was having a standout second half levelled the game up with 6 minutes of normal time remaining and Clarke put Kells ahead for the first time since the opening score. McKeon once again popped up to strike and when Clarke added another it looked as if Kells were to be champions but for The Kilbride corner forward to have other ideas and strike in the 65th minute.
Having to pick themselves up for the additional time, Kilbride struck their fourth goal of the day in the 5th minute of the opening period of extra time. Credit must be given to the Kells girls who never lay down and two Clarke strikes before half-time bringing her personal tally to 1-08 on the day kept Gaeil Colmcille in the contest.
Emma-Jane McKeon drew the sides level once more with a lung bursting run and it set up for a nervy finish. As The Gaeils went in search for a winner it was Kilbride that hit two points to claim the Kepak Junior B Championship.
Gaeil Colmcille: Leah Donlon, Tara Fitzgerald, Leanne Connell, Eadaoin Morgan, Terri-Ann Ferguson, Emma-Jane McKeon (0-03), Emily Sheridan-Fox, Caroline O’Rorke, Grace Gibney, Cailin Grace (0-01), Gemma Clarke (1-08), Aoibhe Sheridan-Fox, Issey McKeon, Orla O’Rorke, Sarah McGillick (0-02).
Subs: Emma Connell for Orla O’Rorke, Loren Clarke for Aoibhe Sheridan-Fox, Anna Reddy for Fitzgerald.
