The final round of action from the Women’s Division of the Energia All Ireland League saw wins for Railway Union and UL Bohemian in their semi-final dress rehearsals, while Wicklow ended their season with a big win at home. Elsewhere, Cooke and Ballincollig ended the season in positive fashion with wins.
Ballincollig 29-20 Galwegians, Tanner Park
Ballincollig claimed a hard-fought 29-20 victory over Galwegians in a lively encounter, in Tanner Park, but just missed out on sixth spot due to Wegians getting a bonus point.
Ballincollig got off to a strong start, scoring three tries in the opening forty minutes through Aoibheann McGrath, Brigid Twohig, and Fia Whelan. Connolly added one conversion, giving the home side an early advantage.
Despite Ballincollig’s quick start, Galwegians stayed in touch thanks to two determined tries from Sarah Purcell, both the result of powerful carries and strong support play. However, with neither converted, Ballincollig led 17-10 at the break.
In the second half, Ballincollig extended their lead through tries from Alisha Flynn and Brigid Twohig, the latter completing her brace. Connolly slotted her second conversion of the match to stretch the advantage.
Galwegians responded with tries from Evanna Finn and Róisín Maher, narrowing the margin, but it was not enough to overhaul the deficit.
Wicklow 69-12 Tullow, Ashtown Lane
Wicklow ended their season on a high, with a high scoring win over Tullow in Ashtown Lane. Leading 44-0 at the break, the hosts pushed off to record an emphatic result.
The end of the journey for Tullow, but one they hope can be re written next year, looking to make a splash on the Leinster League. Wicklow, inspired by a Sarah Gleeson hat trick, along with a brace each for Faye O’Neill and Rachel Griffey, powered home to victory.
Emily McKeown, Clara Dunne, Roisin Stone, Beth Roberts and Laura Griffin also crossed for tries, while Roberts slotted three conversions. Carla Cooney grabbed a brace of tries for the visitors in the second half, with Catherine Dempsey slotting a conversion.
Cooke 33-29 Suttonians, Shaw’s Bridge
Cooke produced a stunning second-half comeback to overturn a 17-point halftime deficit and edge past Suttonians 33-29 in a thrilling contest. A brace of tries apiece from Katie Gilmour and Stacey Sloan, along with a composed kicking display from Amanda Morton, sealed an impressive win.
Suttonians burst out of the blocks in the opening half, running in four tries through Lauren Farrell McCabe, Lena Kibler, Caoimhe Guinan, and Naoise Smyth. Laura Claridge added two conversions as the hosts dominated territory and tempo to take a 24-7 lead into the break.
Cooke, though on the back foot for much of the half, managed to get on the scoreboard through a try from Molly Boyd, converted by Amanda Morton.
The second half told a very different story. Cooke came out with renewed intensity and began to chip away at the deficit. Katie Gilmour and Stacey Sloan each crossed twice, with Morton coolly converting three of those scores to give the visitors the lead late on.
Suttonians responded with a second try from Lena Kibler, but it wasn’t enough to halt Cooke’s momentum as the Ulster side completed an impressive turnaround.
Old Belvedere 5-31 Railway Union, Ollie Campbell Park
Railway Union produced a powerful second-half performance to pull away from Old Belvedere and secure a convincing victory. Veteran Lindsay Peat led from the front with a brace of tries as Railway extended their unbeaten run in the competition to 18 from 18.
In a physical and tightly contested opening half, Lindsay Peat powered over for the only points of the first 40 minutes, giving Railway Union a narrow 5-0 lead at the break. Both sides defended well, but handling errors and penalties stifled momentum in attack.
Railway shifted gears after the restart, unleashing their pace and structure to devastating effect. Tries from Laura Sheehan, Niamh Byrne, and Emily Gavin added to Peat’s earlier effort, while Peat herself crossed for her second to cap a standout performance.
Caoimhe McCormack and Hannah Scanlan added three conversions between them, pushing Railway out of reach.
Old Belvedere showed grit and were rewarded late on with a well-deserved try from Jessica Keating, avoiding the shutout and ending the match on a positive note.
UL Bohemians 19-7 Blackrock College, Annacotty
UL Bohemian claimed a statement win over Blackrock College in their semi-final dress rehearsal, with a superb hat-trick from Chisom Ugwueru leading the way in a dominant display at home.
The hosts came out of the blocks with real intent, and it was Ugwueru who made the early impact, crossing twice in the first half to give UL Bohs control. Kate Flannery was flawless off the tee in the opening 40 minutes, converting both tries to give the home side a 14-0 halftime lead.
Blackrock came out with renewed energy and clawed their way back into the game with a well-taken try by Ava Ryder, converted by Ella Durkan. But UL Bohs responded with Ugwueru completing her hat-trick with another barnstorming run, putting the result beyond doubt and sealing an important win in front of their home support.
Diarmuid Kearney
Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.