Oulart clinch double
OULART-THE BALLAGH RATHNURE 3-09 1-06
IN A repeat of the pairing in the WFC Senior championship decider, Oulart-The Ballagh and Rathnure battled it out for the honours in the Senior League final in Oulart on Sunday last.
The heavy rain the night before made conditions underfoot very difficult, and there was also a very strong wind blowing. Rathnure played with the advantage of the elements in the first-half and wasted no time putting it to good use as Lenny Holohan opened the scoring with a point after five minutes.
Claire O'Connor and Bernie Holohan defended brilliantly for Rathnure, and it was the 17th minute before Oulart-The Ballagh got on the scoreboard with a point from Ursula Jacob.
Rathnure worked the ball back down the field and Lenny Holohan was on hand again to point. Ciara O'Connor made it 0-3 to 0-1 but, coming up to half-time, Una Leacy found Ursula Jacob and she sent the ball over the bar.
Sandy Carr replied for Rathnure to leave them ahead at half-time by 0-4 to 0-2, and Lenny Holohan increased their advantage on the re-start.
A Ciara O'Connor free made it 0-6 to 0-2, but Oulart-The Ballagh were back in business after five minutes when Ursula Jacob finished off the rebound after Mary Fleming saved from Una Leacy.
The next 13 minutes were scoreless as both defences stood out. Oulart-The Ballagh seemed to realise that they were in a game and stepped things up a gear, as their performance up to this had failed to inspire.
Points from Ursula Jacob and Shelley Kehoe put them ahead for the first time before the latter extended their lead to 1-5 to 0-6.
Aishling Moran found Una Leacy running forward in the 58th minute and she popped the ball over the bar. Within the same minute, Mary Leacy found her sister in a scoring position and she duly buried it in the net to open up a six-point gap (2-6 to 0-6).
Ursula Jacob added two points, one from a free, before Lenny Holohan grabbed a consolation goal, but the final say fell to Oulart-The Ballagh and Jacob as she added another 1-1 in the dying seconds.
Mary Leacy accepted the Senior League Shield from Co. P.R.O. Barbara Ryan, before the players headed into Wexford Park to support their men's team.
