Three out of three for Mayo schoolgirls in inter-league action
Mayo had three schoolgirs teams in inter-league group matches last weekend. Both the Under 13s and Under 15s were in Eamon Deacy Park on Saturday afternoon, both facing home side Galway – and both ended up with slender one-goal victories.
First up, kicking off at 2 p.m. and facing Galway 2, were the Under 13s. The Mayo girls put in a very abrasive performance, grinding out a 1-0 victory against a resolute Galway side.
The game was won by the high press that the Mayo girls exerted on the home side in the second half. This paved the way for some great overlapping runs by Lily Hurst, Chloe Stagg, Robyn Butler and Rheanna Hoban. Bonnie Walsh was the gel that held it all together in the middle while the introduction of Maya Benson wreaked havoc in the Galway defence, culminating in Benson scoring a sublime goal.
Kicking off two hours later were the Under 15s. Mayo opened the scoring in the second minute with a wonderful team goal. Mayo goalkeeper Sarah Gallagher found Ella McLoughlin in turn kept the ball moving forward to Doireann Lynch, from where it was transferred across the box for Katie Hughes to place it in the bottom left corner of the net under the ‘keeper’s hands.
Two minutes later Galway had an effort come back off the post, with Gallagher collecting the loose ball.
A Lynch corner on 20 minutes saw Grace Carroll power a header off the crossbar but Grace reacted quickest to the rebound and hammered a right-footed half-volley into the top right-hand corner of the net.
Early in the second half there was almost a repeat of the first goal when Lynch on the right found Hughes on the left, but this time the shot went just the wrong side of the post and wide.
On 47 minutes Galway picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and an accurate finish into the far-left corner of the goal saw Mayo’s lead halved.
Mayo finished the much stronger side though and were unlucky not to add to their lead in the last five minutes. First Sophie O'Donnell hit the post after a great through ball from Ciara Kearney, while Aoibhinn Conway brought a good save from the home ‘keeper.
It ended in a 2-1 victory to Mayo, signifying another excellent trip away having beaten Donegal away in an earlier match.
The youngest Mayo girls representative side – the Mike McGeough-managed Under 12s – were last in action, taking to the field at 3 p.m. on Sunday in Moate facing Midlands Blue.
Mayo served up another fine performance in a 5-0 win that keeps them at the top of their group.
Two goals from Lexi Murphy (Castlebar Celtic), one each from Rachel Gallagher (Kilmurry) and Ailis Harte (Ballyvary Blue Bombers) and a final fantastic individual goal at the end by Ruby McNamara (Snugboro United) capped off another wonderful display of football.
In an excellent all round team performance, Mayo goalkeeper Michaela Kavanagh (Kiltimagh Knock United) put in another faultless performance, with her kicking/distribution particularly catching the eye.
Mayo now look forward to a match against Galway this coming weekend to conclude the group stage.