Valiant Effort from Killavullen Ladies
May 09, 2022
A strong second half performance from Killavullen was not enough to achieve victory in a hard fought game on Sunday evening. The home team laid siege on the Banteer goal for a long spell around the three-quarter mark and though they reduced Banteer’s eight point half-time lead to six points the goal that would have brought them to within touching distance eluded them.
Killavullen started brightly with an early point from the boot of Orla O’Regan. Banteer soon took control and for the remainder of the first half outscored Killavullen by 2-5 to two points from Eva Lankford. Eva had commenced the game in goals, but switched to the opposite end of the field after just seven minutes, when the selected goalkeeper Claire Nagle arrived after an unavoidable delay.
Despite the lack of reward on the scoreboard, there were signs during the opening half that it could be a closer affair and Killavullen certainly showed intent on the resumption with a Niamh Buckley point. Eva Lankford responded in equal measure to a Banteer point. There was a greater intensity to the game at this stage and though Banteer got the next two points, the Killavullen backs were gaining the upper hand, with Lily Sheahan in particular in inspirational form.
The momentum clearly swung Killavullen’s way and the blue army surged forward. Points in quick succession from Eva Lankford, Niamh Buckley and Caoimhe O’Riordan ate in to the Banteer lead but a number of goal chances were snuffed out by an unyielding Banteer backline. The final ten minutes were a complete stalemate and Banteer hung on for a deserved win. Great credit to the Killavullen ladies, however, for a much improved second half performance.
Eva Lankford 0-4, Edwina Dingivan, Siobhán Sheehan, Lily Sheahan, Clare Brennan, Niamh O’Regan (captain), Camille Ní Shúilleabhain, Erica O’Connell, Caoimhe O’Riordan 0-1, Jessica Scuffins, Claire McGuire, Andrea Fresh, Orla O’Regan 0-1, Clara Walsh, Niamh Buckley 0-2, Claire Nagle, Olivia Cahill, Niamh O’Gorman, Evelyn Buckley, Sarah Lane, Emma Taylor, Hannah Martin, Ellie Coughlan, Ciara Jones