Eadestown Ladies crash out of Leinster to five goal Noamh Ciaran

A brace of goals in both halves from Naomh Ciaran was too much for Eadestown Ladies as they went down to the Offaly Club in the LGFA Leinster Club senior championship.

It was Eadestown who got the better of the opening stages hitting 1-2 inside two minutes of action.

A goal coming from Siobhan O’Sullivan after thirty seconds had Eadestown off to a dream start before a further point from the full forward was complimented with one from Grace Clifford.

Naomh Ciaran were in no mood for letting the Kildare champions rule the roost on their home ground and a Kate Kenny free followed by a Roisin Cockram goal saw Kenny level matter on five minutes before Eadestown were able to once more regain any meaningful possession.

In the frantic style that the tie opened the sides traded points to maintain the deadlock before Naomh Ciaran seized control. Two goals inside a minute from Emma Cahill and Cockram left Eadestown reeling.

With Cockram gathering Siobhan Tierney’s kick-out from Cahill’s earlier effort, she made Tierney pay for her poor effort.

A point from O’Sullivan before the quarter hour mark looked to revive Eadestown's efforts before but Naomh Ciaran seized control. A further six unanswered points before the break looked to round off matters and leave the Kildare champions trailing by eleven and with a lot of work to do if they were to have a say in the encounter.

Remaining on the pitch for the break, Eadestown looked to regather their composure and from the throw-in it looked to have worked as Grainne Kenneally gathered possession and forced her way forward. Offloading to O’Sullivan she cut the deficit before points from Clifford, Kenneally and a Jessica Harney free had seven between the sides.

Eadestown were beginning to starve Naomh Ciaran of possession and position and with that a Kate Kenny point was all they could muster before Kenneally and Harney again cut the deficit leaving six between the sides.

Kenny and O’Sullivan again traded scores to leave six between the sides as Eadestown looked to work their way back into the contest as time ticked down. A further point from Kenneally had the deficit to five as Eadestown came menacingly close to netting moments later.

With Clifford gathering around thirty yards from goal, she played a one two with Kenneally who found space along the twenty yard line. With substitute Kate Murphy drifting into space Clifford was quick with the over head pass before the fast thinking

Murphy looked to palm past Moya Ibbotson. With her effort coming off the upright and across the face of goal Emer Nally cleared keeping Eadestown five adrift with five minutes remaining.

Sparking to life once more Cockram hit her third goal of the day before Kaitlin Rigney rose the green flag again off the kick out.

A final point from Kenny rounded off matters with Eadestown unable to find anything to trouble the Offaly side.

A late Murphy effort two minutes into stoppage time rounded off Eadestown’s day as the travelling support watched it strike the upright and drift harmlessly wide.

Scorers: Naomh Ciaran: Roisin Cockram 3-2 (0-1 pen); Kate Kenny 0-8 (4f); Emma Cahill 1-0; Kaitlin Rigney 1-0; Sarah Fitzgerald 0-1; Ellee McEvoy 0-1.

Eadestown: Siobhan O’Sullivan 1-5 (1f); Grainne Kenneally 0-3; Grace Clifford 0-2; Jessica Harney 0-2 (2f).

Naomh Ciaran: Moya Ibbotson; Anna Grehan, Emer Nally, Ella Hogan; Nicole Buckley, Lorraine Keena, Roisin Ennis; Kate Kenny, Emma Cahill, Aoibhe Kelly; Sarah Fitzgerald, Ellee McEvoy, Roisin Cockram. Subs: Avril Spain for Grehan, 41; Kaitlin Rigney for Fitzgerald, 59.

EADESTOWN: Siobhan Tierney; Aine Mernagh, Denise Tierney, Maryann Ryan; Roisin Ellis, Ruth Sargent, Laura Byrne; Aoife Clifford, Grace Clifford; Jessica Harney, Grainne Kenneally, Abaigh Cahill; Tara Bedford, Siobhan O’Sullivan, Sara Carroll. Subs: Andrea Jebb for S. Tierney, 30; Kate Murphy for Carroll, 49.