AIL Roundup: Women’s Division Week 9

Blackrock’s impressive season continues as they made it eight wins in a row with another high scoring win, UL will advance to the semi-finals, while Ballincollig got a maiden win of the season.

Ballincollig 15-3 Cooke, Tanner Park

Ballincollig produced a strong second half on a wet and windy afternoon on Leeside, to get their first win of the season defeating Cooke.

It was a very tight and nervy open half, both sides very much looking to break the other down with little give in the defensive lines, Cooke would lead 3-0 at the break, with Amanda Morton landing a close-range penalty deep into stoppage time.

A yellow card did little to hinder Cooke in the opening half, but just after the hour mark in the second half and with seconds left on their second sin bin of the day, Caoilainn Healy came off the bench to cross for a 5-3 lead.

The hosts had the momentum and would use it well in the dying embers of the tie, Heather Kennedy crossed for the second try after 68 minutes, while Lauraleigh Baker wrapped up the tie after 77 minutes with their third.

Blackrock College 79-0 Suttonians, Stradbrook

Blackrock never looked like taking he foot of the gas, as they cruised to a 13 try win over Suttonians.

Rock were quick to take their scores and controlled the first half to leading 40-0 by the interval, six tries in the opening period as Michelle Claffey and Hannah O’Connor both crossed for a brace, with Tatum Bird and Meabh Deely also crossing the whitewash, Deely adding five of out six conversions also in the half.

Ciara Scanlan had them over into the second half, as they kept on the attack with Suttonians unable to stop their scoring exploits, Claffey would compete her hat trick soon after, while Maeve Liston would also add a brace of tries in the half, Ella Durkan got over for a try, O’Connor also completed her hat trick, as Deely notched a brace too in a dominant display.

UL Bohemian 13-7 Galwegians, Annacotty

A late penalty saw UL snatch fourth spot in the division, in a nail-biting tie on Shannonside that went down to the wire.

The hosts were 10-0 up at the break, a game that Wegians had plenty of possession, but two breakaway tries saw them chasing the game at the interval.

Into the second half Wegians started to turn the screw a little bit and managed to set up a dramatic late finish with a converted try late to leave it 10-7. However, Bohemians held firm and a late penalty saw them through in the end, their late season surge coming to fruition.

Wicklow RFC 5-22 Railway Union, Ashtown Lane

Railway Union ended the year on a high as they worked hard to defeat a game Wicklow side and now look on to the next stage of the competition.

The weather conditions certainly took a lot out of the tie, but Railway managed to get over for a try after the half hour mark to take a 5-0 lead into the interval.

Into the second half and Railway started to pull away of their hosts, quickly adding a second after the restart before a converted effort saw them ahead 17-0. Wickl;ow got on the board and looked to mount a comeback after getting on the board with an unconverted try, but back came Union with their fourth to seal a bonus point win.

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.

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