Scoil Chriost Rí 4-7 Rochfortbridge 4-6
Senior A Ladies Leinster Football Semi Final
A Leinster final place has been secured by Scoil Chriost Rí after they ran out narrow one point winners against Rochfortbridge.
The girls upset the odds by beating last year’s All-Ireland Senior B from Westmeath by the tightest of margins.
In a very physical opening half Chriost Ri came out of the blocks quickly with three goals.
Orla Hennessy on her senior debut bagged two with Emma Lalor snatching the third from distance.
Chriost Ri were applying the pressure and some great passing by Amy Byrne and Jenny Murphy allowed Isabella O’Toole to open up her account with a point from the left side.
Rochfordbridge rallied before half time however and the score was 3-2 to 1-5 at the interval.
The second half proved a tight affair with scores hard to come by.
Rochfortbridge started to come more into the game and capitalised on a turnover with a goal of there own.
Scoil Chriost Ri rallied again and worked the ball well down the field from the ever impressive combination of Erone Fitzpatrick and Sarah Larkin until it reached Jenny O’Neill who rattled the top left corner of the net.
Both teams swapped frees before Isabella O’Toole curled over her second of the game after great work in the build up by Emma Lawlor.
It looked as though Scoil Chriost Rí were going close it out but two more quick goals from the Westmeath side meant the last five minutes were a tense affair with the Portlaoise side up one to the good.
They weren’t to be denied however and substitute wing backs Aoife and Elaine Daly along with eye catching performances from fullback Rebecca Reddin and centre back Julia Cahill closed off any scoring opportunities.
Chriost Ri now progress to a Leinster final against Loreto Wexford who beat them in the group stages.
SCOIL CHRIOST RI: Aoife Hyland; Niamh Conroy, Rebecca Reddin, Ciara Byrne; Zoe Keegan, Julia Cahill, Kiahara Dempsey; Erone Fitzpatrick, Sarah Larkin; Isabella O’Toole, Emma Lawlor, Jenny Murphy; Amy Byrne, Jenny O’Neill, Orla Hennessy.
Subs : Aoife Daly for Zoe Keegan, Elaine Daly for Kiahara Dempsey, Lisa Keane for Jenny O’Neill
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