FAIS U18 National Cup Final
14 February 2010
Report courtesy of Michael Gallagher (Western People)
St Patrick’s College, Lacken Cross 6 – 1 St. Kilian’s Deutsche Schule Dublin
Back in the mists of time when the people of Lacken spoke to St Patrick in a dream, the great man surely never imagined that the famed coastal community would produce a team of football magicians.
On Friday last a band of young ladies traveled from that ancient land in search of silverware. They journeyed to Longford in the centre of the island to face the might of Leinster in a battle to be crowned Ireland¹s best and returned with their booty later that evening
The concession of a goal after just five minutes threatened to rock the Mayo girls to their foundations but they settled to their task, drew level, took the lead and raced to glory.
Up in the stands the youngsters from Lacken, Killala, Kilfian and Ballycastle gloried in the style and skill of their team as the girls in green demonstrated why they¹re so highly rated.
Their star player, Irish international, Aileen Gilroy, almost opened the scoring after just eight seconds when she raced through on goal but she tried to be too precise and the ball licked the post as it rolled wide.
That miss looked costly five minutes later when St Kilian’s centre-forward Anna Heisterkamp volleyed home a fine goal from the edge of the box after Lacken failed to deal with a corner from the left from Chloe Mustaki.
The goal rocked Lacken Cross and it took them some time to get into their rhythm, but they persisted. Elaine Lowther led her team¹s fightback and on three occasions the team captain very nearly hit the net only to be denied by Kilian’s goalkeeper, Ellen Nolan.
Lacken continued to drive forward in search of the equaliser and with Rachel Healy, Niamh Collins and Sorcha McGee building a foundation in midfield they peppered Nolan¹s goal.
Kilian’s had ten behind the ball as they tried to hold back the Mayo waves but it was a futile exercise and after 27 minutes the dam burst. Aileen Gilroy ran 20 yards through the heart of the Dubliners defence and almost tore the net off its rigging with a shot that Nolan didn¹t even see.
Six minutes later Lacken were in front when Aoileann Collins drilled home after seeing her initial effort saved by Nolan. The lead was doubled shortly afterwards when a sweeping move ended with Aoileann Collins bending in a cross from the right and Gilroy driving home a header from six yards.
That left the Mayo girls 3-1 in front at the break and it was hard to envisage a recovery for the Dublin girls.
The Mayo defenders were in superb form with Emma Loughney, Sarah Farrell, Martina Walker, Ailish Healy and Siobhan Kearney not giving their opponents any time or space in which to express themselves and that enabled the Lacken attackers concentrate on the business end of matters.
Six minutes after the break the result was decided when Gilroy dug out a superb cross from the right and Aoileann Collins got in front of two Killian¹s defenders to send a header to the roof of the net.
Gilroy was in sparkling form and led her markers on a merry dance with stunning runs and threatening shots. She almost had another goal in the 54th minute when she left three defenders in her wake but her effort just cleared the crossbar.
Aoileann Collins grabbed her hat-trick in the 63rd when she raced onto a Gilroy through-ball and slipped her shot into the net under Nolan’s despairing dive.
Fittingly, Gilroy also notched her hat-trick when she danced and dodged past four tackles and drilled home her side’s sixth goal in the 70th minute as the girls from the ocean readied themselves for a return to the ancient land proudly carrying their golden treasure.
ST PATRICK’S LACKEN CROSS: Emma Loughney, Sarah Farrell, Martina Walker, Ailish Healy, Siobhan Kearney, Rachel Healy, Niamh Collins, Sorcha McGee, Elaine Lowther, Aileen Gilroy, Aoileen Collins
Subs; Grainne McHale for Kearney (inj, 53), Emma Tomas and Sharon Killeen for
A Collins and A Healy (72)
ST KILIANS DEUTSCHE SCHULE: Ellen Nolan, Charlotte Beer, Molly Brady, Chloe Mustaki, Alexandra Gonzalez, Lisa-Marie Urban, Justine Elferte, Sadhbh Hoban-Logan, Julie Martinez, Anna Heisterkamp, Vesna Pepping
Subs; Rianne Rowan for Elferte (47), Mary O¹Toole for Pepping (55), Ashley Tremblay for Urban (70)
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