This first year ladies FAI Leinster League semi-final took place in Killeshin Laois between Moate Community School School and Gorey Community College. Moate see themselves through to a first ever ladies soccer Leinster final for the school, after a powerful 3 nil win in the second half.

The Moate girls applied pressure early in the match showing great intensity in their play and they managed to create a chance on goal inside the first 2 minutes of play, but were called offside. This was a turning point, as only 2 possessions after Moate’s attempt on goal, a long kickout from the Gorey goalkeeper caught the girls out and Gorey took a 1-0 lead 4 minutes into the match.

Gorey’s strikers needed stopping as they hit the post with another good attempt on the Moate goal in the 10th minute. Moate fought very hard to bring themselves back into the match and were unlucky not to level it with a quick counter attack that couldn’t quite find the target in the 15th minute. A fine piece of defensive work was then shown by Moates number 4 Lucy Martin, as she stripped Gorey’s goal scorer of the ball in a 1 on 1 battle.

Moate were retaining possession well but couldn’t get a strike on target until the 25th minute when Heather Touhey forced an incredible save from the Gorey keeper. Moate went in 1-0 down at half time and a big second half would be needed to secure them a spot in a Leinster final.

Moate started off the second half in idyllic fashion as Leah Concannon finally put one past the Gorey keeper and this was just the start the girls needed. From there Moate upped the intensity of the game and created many chances for themselves from corners, frees and from play. Heidi Murray’s effort in the 30th minute was particularly unlucky not to go in. It was 2 minutes after that chance, that Leah Concannon once again found the back of the net for Moate to put the girls ahead on a score line of 2-1. Leah was in flying form in this match with two fantastic finishes.

Moate kept applying pressure with a free taken by Leah Concannon just put over the cross bar, and Doireann Keena was unlucky not find the net with her chance in the 38th minute. Gorey’s free taken in the 42nd minute almost tied things up, but a quick kick out from Moate’s keeper Caoimhe Brady afterwards found Chloe Malone who took on the Gorey defence and slotted Moate’s 3rd goal in the 43rd minute making the score 3-1.

Moate retained possession well for the rest of the match and ended up the victors and are through to a Leinster final after an incredible second half performance. Gorey found it very difficult during the match to break down Moate, as there was a fantastic defensive display throughout the game from Lucy Martin, Sarah Young and Ríona Foley.

 

Team Photo: Back left to right – Anna Hamilton, Anna Ryan, Leah Concannon, Lucy Martin, Caoimhe Brady, Ríona Foley, Libby McHugh, Doireann Keena, Chloe Malone.

Front left to right – Jenna O’Meara, Heidi Murray, Heather Touhey, Katie Meares, Lucy Murphy, Niamh Noone, Mella Casey, Sarah Young.