RAPHOE LADIES advanced into the quarter-finals of the Irish Hockey Trophy after a hard-fought win over Cork Church of Ireland today.
Raphoe 3 Cork Church of Ireland 2
The tension whistled through the air of the Royal and Prior School Grounds after Cork Church of Ireland battled back from 2-0 down to draw level.
Raphoe looked to be cruising as Wendy Bustard and Leanne Patterson had them two up after 40 minutes, but the visitors – who traveled up as far as Monaghan last night – hit back through Christina Dring and Steffi Bowe.
Eight minutes from time, Raphoe bagged a wonderful winner courtesy of Victoria Wray.
Cork Church of Ireland laid siege on the Raphoe goal and even took goalkeeper Sarah Wrixon off to give them an extra body outfield, but Raphoe – with Arlyne Kilpatrick and Wray standing firm at the back – held on.
Raphoe have won just one game all season, also in this competition, but with a number of their rivals yet to play Richard Tinney and company are hopeful of bagging the necessary points to survive in the Ulster Premier Division.
This win certainly showed their battling qualities and they played some fine hockey into the bargain.
It had been a decent start by Raphoe, who saw Sarah Boal shoot wide early on before Kilpatrick fed Bustard up the right flank. Bustard did well to get a shot away, but it was deflected wide.
Denise McElhinney, Raphoe’s star of all codes, was called into action to deny Claire Hickey after she was fed by the always-threatening Hollie Moffett.
Aoife Collins and Hickey again went close before McElhinney thwarted Moffett at point-blank range.
Two minutes before half-time, Raphoe took the lead. A brilliant Raphoe move ended with captain Sabrina Barnett threading a delicious through ball into Bustard.
Still with a little work to do, Bustard was the picture of cool as she slotted past Wrixon for a deserved lead.
Five minutes into the second half, Raphoe doubled the lead. Sarah McErlean’s pass found Bustard, who side-stepped Wrixon and Patterson tucked home the rebound.
McElhinney wonderfully denied Amy Roberts, but the Cork side were soon on level terms as Dring and Bowe netted in quick succession.
Tinney’s team had nine training sessions over the Christmas period and their never-say-die attitude prevailed.
Wray’s short corner was worked magnificently and, from Kilpatrick’s tee up, Wray had the final touch, finding the bottom corner for what proved a precious match winner.
Raphoe: Denise McElhinney, Sarah Boal, Arlyne Kilpatrick, Lyndsey Tinney, Victoria Wray, Leanne Patterson, Sarah Patterson, Sabrina Barnett, Esther Hume, Jasmine Tinney, Wendy Bustard, Murphy Thompson, Katy Love, Shannon Porter, Sarah McErlean.
Cork Church of Ireland: Sarah Wrixon, Eimear Lehane, Aoife Collins, Edel Coyne, Christina Dring, Rebecca Kingston, Claire Hickey, Amy Roberts, Abi O’Mahony, Steffi Bowe, Roisin O’Dea, Hollie Moffett, Chloe Fenton, Kirsty Coombes.
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