LETTERKENNY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Ladies added an exclamation mark to the old adage about goals winning games.
Letterkenny Institute of Technology 6-07 UCD 2-04
A 15-point win over UCD has sent Eamon O’Boyle’s team into the semi-finals of the Colleges All-Ireland Ladies League.
After missing out on a LGFA All-Star Award on Saturday night, Geraldine McLaughlin’s prints were all over this one, scoring two of the goals and, despite being double marked throughout, coming close with three more goal chances.
Picture caption: Gemma Glackin, playing for LyIT, halts the UCD attack, led by Aine McManus. Picture courtesy of Paddy Gallagher.
Sarah Jane McDonald (2), Emma McCroary and Aine O’Reilly also bagged goals and, by the time Michael Mulhern called time in a mini monsoon, the Port Road scholars had daylight to spare as darkness was falling.
McCroary bagged the opening goal after just four minutes, finishing well after a UCD clearance was blocked.
By then, McLaughlin had the UCD blood curled. Having sped away from Anna McKenna, the UCD full-back, McLaughlin rushed her shot and slammed it at the goalkeeper, Jacquie McManus.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic and UCD might well have had a goal of their own, but Katy O’Brien had to settle for a point when her powerful shot cannoned up and over off the crossbar.
O’Brien should have netted a minute later but, from a glorious position in front of goal, she fired wide.
It was only momentary respite for the Belfield students. Normal service was soon resumed.
In the 14th minute McLaughlin was played in, after McDonald and Aine O’Reilly carved out the opening, and the Termon woman made no mistake this time around, crisply finishing to the bottom corner.
McManus thwarted the LyIT advances again. After being played in by McLaughlin, McDonald, who did well to get a shot away under severe pressure, drilled goalward only for McManus to save.
LyIT got in again for a third goal in the 24th minute. An intricate series of passes concluded with Aine Higgins slipping in the razor-sharp McLaughlin, who applied the finish from close range.
While McDonald’s second goal – coming 90 seconds into the second half to put her team 14 point ahead – had a little stroke of good fortune about it, deflecting over McManus and dipping perfectly to the net, her first could only be admired.
It came with the game clock in red time at the end of the first half.
The Moville woman sailed a sumptuous effort over McManus from 25 metres having been picked out by McLaughlin’s quick free. Spotting the gap, her effort was exquisite into the far corner.
McLaughlin, Aine Higgins and Aine O’Reilly added points before McManus denied McLaughlin her hat-trick, making a strong save in a one-on-one situation.
McLaughlin turned provider for Higgins, who showed a neat turn of feet before arching over, via the steelwork, while Aoife O’Brien, the LyIT netminder, kept her sheet clean by somehow keeping out attempts from Amy Gillen and Shauna Garvan.
Midfielder O’Reilly slammed in a third goal and Higgins added her third point to put 22 points between.
It all meant that late, late goals by Aileen Flynn and Gemma O’Dwyer – whose free went straight to the LyIT net – served only as a footnote.
Letterkenny Institute of Technology: Aoife O’Brien; Victoria Kelly, Gemma Glackin, Nollaig O’Dowd; Rachel McGee, Shannon McDonald, Ashling Sweeney; Cathy de Ward, Aine O’Reilly (1-1); Lucy O’Flynn, Aine Higgins (0-3), Sarah Jane McDonald (2-1); Lisa Devaney, Geraldine McLaughlin (2-1, 1f), Emma McCroary (1-1). Subs: Roisin McGloin for McCroary (37), Corina Gibbons for McLaughlin (50), Niamh Rhatigan for Devaney (50), Lauren Hegarty for Sweeney (53).
UCD: Jacquie McManus; Lauren Dooley, Anna McKenna, Connie Ann Murphy; Michelle Rowe, Gemma O’Dwyer (1-1, 1-1f), Michaela Doonan; Niamh O’Dwyer, Aileen Flynn (1-0); Aine McManus, Amy Gillen (0-2, 1f), Katy O’Brien (0-1); Clara O’Sullivan, Shauna Garvan, Róna Burke.
Referee: Michael Mulhern (St Eunan’s).
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