How a small village made history; Eadestown achieve five Senior titles in a row

Eadestown 5-15

St Laurences 0-6

Eadestown hit five goals to lift their fifth Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship title in a row on Friday night.

The game’s opening score came from the boot of last year’s Eadestown captain Siobhan O’Sullivan, who fired over from a close-range free.

After Miah Ryan equalised for Larries, Eadestown hit 3-4 without reply in the 15 minutes that followed. It was a spell of utter domination that the losing side would never recover from.

After points from Anna Hynes and Player of the Match Abaigh Cahill, Eadestown grabbed their first goal in the sixth minute.

Abaigh Cahill took aim at the posts and saw her effort touched onto the bar by Meabh Collins.

The Larries goalkeeper, after denying Grainne Kenneally a goal moments earlier, did so again with a brilliant sprawling save.

However, on this occasion the ball fell to the waiting Abaigh Cahill and, after the Larries backline failed to react, Cahill finished with little fuss.

Eadestown went six clear in the 10th minute with a point from Anna Hynes which brought their total to 1-4.

Grace Clifford extended her side’s lead further before they found the net again as the game reached the quarter of the hour mark.

Two minutes after Ciara Wheeler was denied at the other end, Abaigh Cahill grabbed her second goal of the evening with a brilliant driving run and excellent finish.

Four minutes later Tara Bedford was looking to add Eadestown’s third goal when she was fouled inside the box.

Siobhan O’Sullivan stepped up to spot, but was superbly denied by Meabh Collins. The Eadestown midfielder responded well and latched onto the rebound to find the net in what was a cruel misfortune for the Larries stopper.

After struggling to build attacking momentum, Larries grabbed back-to-back points through Brianne Leahy-Heydon and Caoimhe O’Sullivan.

Siobhan O’Sullivan then added a point to her tally at the other end in the 27th minute.

One more score each before the break sent the side’s in with Eadestown leading 3-7 to 0-4 after late points from Marie Kealy and Abaigh Cahill.

It was more of the same after the restart as Eadestown pushed further clear.

The leading side got their fourth goal from captain Grainne Kenneally, who added to a brilliant Ruth Sargent run by producing an outstanding finish into the top corner.

Four minutes later Eadestown had their fifth and final goal as Abaigh Cahill completed her hat-trick.

Five goals and five Championships in a row for Eadestown after another excellent display in the Kildare Senior Championship. Their attention now turns to producing on the provincial stage as they fly the flag for Kildare in Leinster.

Speaking after the match, Eadestown captain Grainne Kenneally said, “My reaction is that we can finally start talking about five in-a-row. A lot of people have been talking about it over the last few weeks. We haven’t been allowed to mention it, but of course it has been in the back of our heads. Of course we wanted to create history and we have done it.

“We are very relieved. I must give credit to St Laurences, they have had an absolute storming Championship. They started well in a league campaign and deservedly won it. You could see they were building towards something for the Championship. I just don’t think the score reflected what a really competitive team they are and we have no doubt that they'll be back for the next few years. And I do hope to see some of them in the lilywhite of Kildare next year.”

The Waterford native also spoke on her pride in leading Eadestown into battle this year and said, “I may not have been reared in Eadestown, but I certainly have been adopted. It is not easy being away from home, but they took me in as one of their own and I am so grateful for all the support they have always given me.”

MAIN MAN

Abaigh Cahill

The Eadestown corner-forward was a cut above the rest on the night and will have done her chances have donning white next year no harm as she scored 3-6 in front of new Kildare manager Pat O'Sullivan.

TURNING POINT

Eadestown hit 3-4 without reply between the fifth and 15th minute of this game to inflict damage on the scoreboard that St Laurences were never going to recover from.

TALKING POINT

The chatter surrounding this accomplishment should be dominated by praise for those within Eadestown GAA. A club who operate within a small village and have achieved incredible success with their fifth title in a row. Club integration and equality have been at the core of Eadestown for years and that has bore fruit on both side's of the ledger.

WHAT NOW?

After winning their fifth Championship in a row, Eadestown now look to make another dent in the Leinster Senior Championship.

Scorers: Eadestown, Abaigh Cahill 3-6 (0-1 frees), Siobhan O'Sullivan 1-2 (0-2 frees), Anna Hynes 0-4 (0-1 frees), Grainne Kenneally 1-0, Grace Clifford 0-1, Jessica Harney 0-1, Laura Byrne 0-1.

St Laurences, Caoimhe O'Sullivan 0-2 (0-2 frees), Miah Ryan 0-1, Brianne Leahy-Heydon 0-1, Marie Kealy 0-1, Ciara Wheeler 0-1.

EADESTOWN: Andrea Jebb; Maryann Ryan, Denise Tierney, Ann Marie Logue; Aine Mernagh, Ruth Surgent, Aoife Clifford; Siobhan O'Sullivan, Laura Byrne; Anna Hynes, Grace Clifford, Jessica Harney; Tara Bedford, Grainne Kenneally, Abaigh Cahill. Subs: Kate Murphy for Tara Bedford (52 minutes), Aine Ni Raghallaigh for Siobhan O'Sullivan (58 minutes).

ST LAURENCES: Meabh Collins; Ailbhe Hennessy, Eimear Glancy, Amy Cullen; Niamh O'Connor, Emma Wheeler, Ava Marron; Gillian Wheeler, Ciara Wheeler; Emma Walshe, Miah Ryan, Marie Kealy; Deirbhile Byrne, Brianne Leahy-Heydon, Caoimhe O'Sullivan. Subs: Joanna Ryan for Caoimhe O'Sullivan (46 minutes), Megan Alcock for Emma Walshe (47 minutes), Niamh Miley for Niamh O'Connor (47 minutes), Kate Dooley for Eimear Glancy (50 minutes), Grace Gibbons for Ava Marron (58 minutes).

Referee: Billy O’Connell