ADULT 5 CAMOGIE
Another battling performance from our Adult Camogie Senior 5 side on Tuesday when they played table toppers St Oliver Plunketts Eoghan Ruadh in a real David v Goliath encounter in Meadowvale. This young Cuala team, with 7 minors in the starting 15, were up against it from the start missing a number of key players and playing against a visiting side with a 100% record and averaging a 13 point winning margin in their 7 games to date. Although Plunketts did win 6-7 to 2-4 in the end, they were flattered by the scoreline and were made work very hard for their victory and it turned out to be one of the best performances of the season to date for the Cuala girls.
In the first half, although Plunketts led by 1-3 to 0-1 approaching the mid way point, Cuala were playing some very determined camogie and a Katie O’Dea goal on 16 minutes deservedly brought Cuala to within a score of the visitors. Plunketts responded well however scoring 2-2 in 7 minutes to seemingly end any chance of a Cuala come back but Cuala weren’t giving up easily and finished the half strongly with 1-1 from Asia Kirwan in the last 5 minutes leaving the score Cuala 2-2 vs. 3-5 Plunketts at the break.
In the second half, 2 goals in the first 2 minutes for the team from the Navan Road made it an almost impossible task for Cuala but the girls never gave up and it was a very even contest for the next 25 minutes, Cuala scoring 2 points to Plunketts 1. The effects of all the previous hard work began to tell on Cuala in the closing few minutes with the girls tiring allowing Plunketts add another 1-1 in the dying minutes leaving the final score Cuala 2-4 vs. 6-7 St Oliver Plunketts Eoghan Ruadh, the final score not a fair reflection of the effort put in by the Cuala girls.
The result leaves Plunketts on track to win Division 5 and leaves Cuala needing a win in either of their final two games to secure their Division 5 status having won promotion last year winning all their games. Next Tuesday the girls are away to St Marks with a final home game the following Tuesday vs. St Vincents.
Cuala Team: Doireann Ni Shiochain, Mairead Kenny, Bronagh Byrne, Zoe Rafferty, Leonie Buckley, Shauna Curtis, Caoimhe O’Carroll, Sophie Freidel, Albha O’Dwyer Boyle (0-1), Ciara O’Callaghan, Asia Kirwan (1-2), Roisin O’Toole, Orla Doyle (0-1), Katie O’Dea (1-0), Orla McMahon, Niamh Dunne.
ADULT 7 FOOTBALL
A great result and a great performance from our Adult 7 footballers on Wednesday in Meadowvale in a D7 Cup game vs. Na Fianna. Having narrowly beaten the visitors in Mobhi Road only 3 weeks previously in a hugely exciting and entertaining game, the return fixture lived up to the previous game providing those watching with another thrilling encounter.
Unlike the previous game, it was Na Fianna who started the game the brighter roaring into a 1-3 to no score lead after only 8 minutes. However, a goal from a deflected Jennifer Byrne shot after 10 minutes got Cuala on the scoreboard and settled the nerves and it was any ones game after that with opportunities at both ends and some great play from both teams. The teams traded a point a piece over the next 10 minutes until a brilliant individual goal from Rosa Hickey, the score of the game, drew Cuala level. Na Fianna finished the half the stronger however, including a fortuitous goal on the stroke of half time leaving Cuala trailing by 6 points, 2-1 to 2-7, at the break.
In the second half Cuala came out of the blocks very quickly with an early point and for the next 10 minutes it was end to end stuff with opportunities at both ends. By now Cuala were starting to get the upper hand and gradually began to find their range. Another Jennifer Byrne goal mid way through the half was followed by 5 magnificent points to leave Cuala ahead by 3 points with less than 10 minutes remaining. It was during this last 10 minutes that the Cuala defence came into it’s own repelling attack after attack from a dangerous Na Fianna forward line. With the Cuala sideline anxiously looking at their watches and the game moving into injury time Na Fianna had a great goal chance to draw level right at the death but the full forwards powerful shot from just inside the square was brilliantly deflected onto the underside of the crossbar by stand in goalkeeper Cliodhna Reidy and the ball bounced back onto the line and was scrambled clear. There wasn’t time for much more with the final whistle sounding shortly afterward leaving the score Cuala 3-7 vs. 2-7 Na Fianna, another hugely exciting and entertaining game with the Cuala girls putting in their best performance of the campaign so far this year, particularly in that brilliant second half keeping Na Fianna scoreless. Well done to all..
Cuala team: Bronagh Byrne (0-1), Saoirse Anderson, Clionadh Reidy, Catherine Moore, Hannah Byrne, Alison Hickey, Orlaith O’Sullivan, Caitlin Byrne, Jennifer Byrne (2-1), Cathy Johnson (0-1), Rosa Hickey (1-1), Catherine Scully, Laura Dunne, Kate Baldwin (0-3), Sinead Ruigrok, Shauna Curtis, Rachel Byrne.
