Kildare ladies season over after Roscommon defeat
Roscommon 4-10
Kildare 2-14
“We’ve just ran out of juice, we didn’t have the energy that Roscommon did.”
The words of Kildare Ladies manager, Sean Finnegan following his side's 4-10 to 2-14 defeat at the hands of Roscommon on Sunday, a defeat that end's Kildare's season after two defeats from two games.
Kildare have played sixteen competitive ties across their 2022 campaign, more than most inter-country sides playing at the same level.
In addition to this Kildare have seen their club scene continue in tandem with the inter-country campaigns with all of the girls involved with both their club and county sides, it means that unfortunately all of the girls have a lot more miles on the clock than they should.
“Some of the girls who have been brilliant all year just look tired, and not up to the pace of the game” added Finnegan.
Having conceded four goals to Roscommon in March in their Division 3 semi-final Kildare were well aware of the goal scoring threat that Roscommon posed, and unfortunately this is something again that they struggled to contain.
“We had a game plan today to go for it, we had no sweeper and we pushed up” said manager Finnegan “I was delighted with the 2-5 but naturally the concession of 2-5 was an issue and 3-5 by half time.
“Before Claire Sullivan came on we had one girl over twenty-two on the field” remarked Finnegan “they have been brilliant to work with but there is a little bit of work to be done, both physically and mentally.”
Roscommon opened the scoring inside the opening ten seconds of action with Jenny Shine pointing, adding a second within a minute to leave the home side with an early two-point advantage.
Kildare were struggling to get to grips with the pace that Roscommon possessed and Natalie McHugh capitalise on this moments later. Gathering possession, she bore down on Dervila McGinn in the Kildare goal only for her low shot to the right of McGinn to be batted away. A third point from Lisa O’Rouke increased the lead before Kildare captain Grace Clifford got The Lilies up and running.
Claiming the kick out she broke forward, cutting at the heart of the Roscommon defence, she beat four defenders before sending past Helena Cummins to level matters. A Niamh Feeney point steadied the Roscommon effort but Kildare hit back with Lara Curran claiming McGinn’s kick out she found the waiting Ciara Wheeler. Losing her defender, she spotted Rattigan in space. Making no mistake with the strike, Rattigan had Kildare into the advantage for the first time.
Clifford added a further point to extend this but Roscommon were no in the mood to let the travelling side claim dominance in the tie as Fiona Tully netted a second Roscomon goal of the afternoon to level matters for a second time.
With Kildare needing the win they went in search of the separating score and points from Rattigan and Neasa Dooley left Kildare holding a two-point advantage before Natalie McHugh claimed Cummins kick out.
With Shauna Kendrick unable to stop Hanley getting to the ball first, Hanley found Jenny Shine who netted a second of the half to leave Kildare trailing by a point.
Two Rattigan points again sent Kildare back into the lead before Aisling Hanley levelled matters for the third time of the half before Tully netted a third for Roscommon on the stroke of twenty-five minutes.
An exchange of points from O’Rourke and Rattigan ensured that Tully’s goal would be the difference at the break.
On the restart again it was Roscommon who looked to push on with Niamh Feeney pointing before Lara Curran converted Kildare’s first scorable free of the tie, three points separating the sides once again.
A trading of points from Shine and Rattigan maintained the three point Roscommon advantage as Kildare knew time was quickly ticking away from them and they needed to get back into the scoring vein.
Further points from Curran, Rattigan and Clifford had Kildare level with twelve minutes remaining as they went in search of the score that would again swing the lead to their advantage.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t to come and Roscommon’s Niamh Feeney hit her third of the tie; a further point from Fiona Tully with seven minutes remaining left Roscommon two clear.
Points from Rattigan and Ciara Wheeler gave Kildare a glimmer of hope of turning around their 2022 season but Roise Lennon had other ideas as she netted with the tie heading into injury time.
Needing a goal Kildare broke forward, with second half substitute Ellen Dowling pointing there was two between the sides with time quickly running down.
Needing a late goal Kildare broke forward late on getting the ball into the hand of captain Clifford, unfortun-
ately with the strike of the midfielder drifting left with that so did Kildare’s championship campaign.
Scorers
Roscommon, Fiona Tully 2-1; Jenny Shine 1-3; Roise Lennon 1-0; Niamh Feeney 0-3; Lisa O’Rourke; Aisling Hanley 0-1 (1f).
Kildare, Aoife Rattigan 1-7; Grace Clifford 1-2; Lara Curran 0-2 (2f); Neasa Dooley 0-1; Ciara Wheeler 0-1; Ellen Dowling 0-1.
ROSCOMMON: Helena Cummins; Sinead Kenny, Rachel Fitmaurice, Rachel Brady; Roisin Wynne, Aisling McCauliffe, Niamh Feeney; Lisa O’Rourke, Laura Fleming; Mikaela McHugh, Jenny Shine, Fiona Tully; Aisling Hanley, Natalie McHugh, Caroline Conway. Subs: Sarah McVeigh for McCauliffe, 30; Roise Lennon for McHugh, 47; Ellen Irwin for Conway, 54.
KILDARE: Dervila McGinn; Shauna Kendrick, Laoise Lenehan, Rachel Cribbin; Mia Doherty, Lara Gilbert, Lauren Murtagh; Grace Clifford, Hazel McLoughlin; Ciara Wheeler, Aoife Rattigan, Niamh Sinnott; Neasa Dooley, Gillian Wheeler, Lara Curran. Subs: Claire Sullivan for Sinnott, 30; Claire Nugent for Kendrick, 37; Fiona Troute for Doherty, 46; Ellen Dowling fdor McLoughlin, 48; Mary Hulgraine for Dooley, 59.