Hazelwood March on to Munster Final
Hazelwood College 4-11
St. Anne’s 3-06
Martinstown was the venue for this Senior Ladies’ Football Munster Colleges’ Semi-Final on 8th December 2014. Cold, wet and windy conditions proved a challenge for both teams, and a physical battle was in store.
Hazelwood started the brighter team going two goals ahead inside the opening 8 minutes after Sarah Shanahan and Cliona O’ Callaghan found the net, taking the St. Anne’s defenders by surprise. After the Tipp side’s slow start, they began to find their feet, putting two points on the board. After 16 minutes, Sarah and Ellanna Mulcahy scored a point each after good passages of play. The St. Anne’s girls entered a purple patch for 10 minutes in the middle of the half, taking advantage by putting 2-02 on the board after finding gaps in the Hazelwood defence. However, the Limerick side put themselves in a more comfortable position for half time, after a point from centre back Megan Fitzgibbon, and Cliona and Áine Cunningham put a goal each past the St. Anne’s goalkeeper. The half time score read 4-03 to 2-04 in favour of Hazelwood.
After the interval, St. Anne’s came out all guns blazing, scoring two points in the half’s opening 10 minutes. With this leaving only 3 points between the sides, and St. Anne’s beginning to dominate in the middle third of the field, Hazelwood were under pressure to retain their lead. A pointed free from Katie McCarthy helped Hazelwood find their feet again, and points from Cliona and Tara Fitzgibbon stretched the lead to 6 points to put Hazelwood in a comfortable position again. The lead could have been more, but for the woodwork blocking a bullet from the boot of Donna Mulcahy. Hazelwood started to pull away in the last quarter, with points from Katie, Ellanna and three from Donna. St. Anne’s never gave up, and were rewarded with a late goal, but it was too little too late for the gallant Tipp side. Hazelwood ran out winners on a scoreline of 4-11 to 3-06. Hazelwood now progress to the Senior Ladies’ Football Munster Final, while St. Anne’s are out of the competition.
by Laura Stack and Jack Hennessy TY1
Hazelwood College’s Senior Ladies Football team who recently secured a definite victory in the Senior Ladies’ Football Munster Colleges’ Semi-Final. Pictured are back row (left to right) Sharon Carmady, Claire Sweeney, Roisin Cunningham, Emma Sheehan, Cliona O’Callaghan, Brianna O’Connor, Rebecca McGuinness, Sarah Shanahan, Tara Fitzgibbon, Megan Fitzgibbon and Katie McCarthy. Front row (left to right) Ciara McCarthy, Bríd Flanagan, Emily Rose Mulcahy, Ellannah Mulcahy, Donna Mulcahy, Medhbh McCarthy, Chloe O’Brien, Áine Cunningham and Norma O’Sullivan.