St Brigids v Monasterevin, a relentless and gripping game

Stepping out on to the Ellistown pitch last Wednesday night for a semi-final was like playing in the Champions League, writes Conor O'Toole. The lights, the cold, the players … the tension. And St Brigids U15 ladies footballers rose to the occasion against Monasterevin like we always knew they would. Right from the throw-in they put it up to a team whose players had made it to the All Ireland Feile (U14 Final) only last year. They ran, they harried, they took great scores and they never ever gave up.

St Brigids got the first point as Nanci Murphy and Ellie O’Toole got to grips with midfield. Lisa Aspel stuck like a limpet to Mon dangerwoman Lauren Kelly with instructions to follow her to Kildare Village if she wanted to do some shopping.

Katelyn Hegarty Kelly moved to centreback and would be a shoo-in for a job in the Ordnance Survey with the amount of ground she covered. And she wasn’t the only one. Megan Fogarty, Avril Glendon and Jenny Kelly in the full forward line fought like tigers to get on the ball, make space and lay it off to the runner. And when the Mon got going and fired over some points St Brigids went back up the field and replied with hard-worked points from Kayleigh Humphreys, Jenny Kelly, Nanci Murphy and a trademark rampage from Ellie O’Toole that shook the corner of the Mon net.

Brigids were in the lead but like a metronome the momentum shifted and the full back line with a tenacious Brona Dooley, a towering Laura McMahon and a relentless Alex Leahy fought back wave after wave of attacks and prevented a big change in the lead. A fingertip save from Niamh Doran pushed a rocket over the bar and her well aimed clearances set up fresh counterattacks.

Wingback Grace O’Toole time and time again won and carried ball forward with those loping strides. 12-year-old Ruth Birchall small in stature but big in heart and skill was a revelation at centre half forward with her foraging and linking play. Alannah Burke at wing back battled and cleared ball like her life depended on it and it took a lucky and -depending on which team you supported- a perhaps controversial Monasterevin goal just before half time to give them a slender and misleading lead of 1- 9 to 1-4.

There were no Jaffa cakes at the break. Summer’s over. Water and more water and encouragement. Brigids are still in the game. We are always better in the second half. We have buckets of character. And again we showed it.

Kayleigh Humphreys and Ellie O’Toole narrowed the gap with 2 points on the run. Nanci Murphy twisted and turned to create precious space which Ruth Birchall exploited with her scampering runs at the opposition. Eve Ennis came on at corner back and with her first play won a 50/50 ball and started another attack. Holly Hensey and Susie Treacy went into the forward lines and won priceless possession. Amy Barker showed no signs of a recent broken ankle when she made her entrance and got on the ball. And the subs, the supporters and the management roared them on.

Lisa Aspel continued to torment her opponent and at the same time Brona Dooley buzzed around her like a wasp. Laura McMahon led as a captain at the back and all over the field the tempo and commitment was maintained. Every turnover every possession won was cheered like it was a score. It was utterly compelling to see who would prevail and when the Mon made a rare breakthrough with a 50th minute goal you just knew that it still wasn’t over. Elllie O’Toole blasted the ball against the crossbar. Nanci Murphy weaved through for another point and Avril Glendon gamely battled away at full forward. Something had to give and it did when Kayleigh Humphreys bobbed and swivelled and squeezed in a goal from a tight angle. The margin was down to four points with five minutes left and the frenetic pace just wouldn’t let up. Brigids threw the kitchen sink and all their white goods at Monasterevin and they almost wilted until some crucial counter attacks yielded them a few more points. The game was set up for a last minute goalmouth scramble and with a prosaic inevitability it was Brigids who created it as they desperately pressed for a goal. Monasterevin were under siege for the last few minutes and just managed to hold out. The final whistle blew and it was all over. The Mon had won 2-14 to 2-7 but that was only a headline. The real story was one of a relentless and gripping game that would grace any field of play.

It was a tremendous performance by this squad of Kilcullen and Athgarvan girls. The girls who didn’t play — Nika Carey, Holly Duff, Emily Nolan, Emily McGlinchey, Niamh Garrett, Nell England, Tara Murphy and Aoife Hegarty all played a major part in this campaign and gave unstinting encouragement to their teammates. There should be a grant for parents for the rush from work and home to drive their girls to midweek matches and training. There is no team without you.

Don’t be too disappointed girls. It was a privilege to train you and we’ll all reassemble next year for a tilt at the U16s.

The Management — Trevor Howard, John Glendon, Ciara Byrne and Conor O’Toole. Still U16 County Champions