Leinster Football Association Womens Inter League Trophy 2024/25
(REPORT BY JAMIE CONNOLLY)
Kildare & District Football League 0 5 Wexford & District Womens League
The group stages of the Leinster Football Association Women’s Inter League trophy came to a close over the weekend when the KDFL took on the Wexford Women’s Football League in what was a precursor to the Final which is scheduled to be played at the end of March. It was a tough final group game for the home league with Kildare coming out the wrong end of a 5-0 scoreline against a well drilled Wexford side.
The game was played in perfect conditions at Doctor’s road Clane all weather facility. The opening ten minutes were well contested with both sides cancelling each other out as defences cutting off the supply to the strikers forcing the ball out wide.
The backline for Kildare of Kaiah Mooradian in goals and Jessica Brereton, Alicia Kavanagh, Katie O’Conor and Hannah Dempsey we’re strong in tackles and not giving the Wexford strikers Sinead Ryan and Shannon Maguire too much space. With eight minutes gone, some indecisive defending by Kildare allowed Wexford’s Shannon Maguire to gain a small space to blast home from ten yards to put the away side 1-0 up.
Kildare’s Orlaith O’Sullivan, Aoife De Faoite, Brianne Kaye and Sophia Di Dtefano we’re always trying to force Wexford’s midfield of Emma Clarke, Zara Corrigan, Niamh Kelly & Holly Dooley into errors. Kildare we’re trying to play balls over the top for Molly Nason and Sarah Scully to run on to but Wexford’s backline of Ella Clotty, Tegan Fortune, Leah Walsh, Aoife Curran and Nicole Curran nullified any threat.
On the eighteenth minute a ball was played into the feet of Shannon Maguire who’s first touch was a little wayward. With Shannon the quickest to react to the loose ball, the Kildare defender clipped her ankle and brought her down in the penalty area and the referee had no option but to point to the spot. Sinead Ryan stepped up and blasted the ball down the middle to put Wexford 2-0 up.
Wexford started to up the tempo and gain the upper hand in the game and we’re winning the midfield battle. The visitors added a third goal when on the half hour when a corner swung in was met by captain Aoife Curran whose bullet header flew into the net giving Mooradian no chance in the home goal. Wexford were now looking dangerous every time they ventured forward with Kildare defence with a battle on their hands and they added a fourth on the stroke of half time when Zara Corrigan broke the offside trap and neatly slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net, leaving Kildare with a mountain to climb.
Changes were made at half time with the introduction of Chelsie O’Driscoll, Sarah Ennis, Sophie Dempsey and Aoife Stafford and these changes did bring some renewed energy to the home side. After ten minutes with some neat link up play from Orlaith O’Sullivan, Sarah Ennis and Chelsie O’Driscoll saw Chelsie O’Driscoll unleash a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar and went out of danger. Kildare were starting to make some inroads and again on the sixty fifth minute O’Driscoll was involved when she whipped in free kick that the keeper could only parry into danger but Sarah Ennis stretching, just couldn’t reach the ball.
Moments later O Driscoll again went close for Kildare when a shot saw the keeper claim the ball but spill it with the ball going out for a corner. Any hope of a revival was gone when with twenty minutes remaining a screamer of a shot from all of thirty yards out by Nicola Davitt of Wexford looped in over Kaiah, who could do nothing to stop it to leave the scoreline at 5-0.
Hannah Dempsey cut out a promising attack in the closing stages of the game to keep the score at 5-0. Credit to the Kildare women who battled hard from first whistle to last but were beaten by a better side on the day. These two sides meet again in the final of the competition and with the second half performance, management will be hoping to emulate the same momentum going into the game.
Best for Wexford were the impressive Aoife Curran at the back, Holly Dooley out wide, substitute Nicola Davitt & the centre mid pairing of Niamh Kelly & Zara Corrigan. Best for Kildare were Brianne Kaye, Sofia Di Stefano who worked tirelessly on the wings, Hannah Dempsey at the back and Molly Nason up top.
Kildare squad:
1.Kaiah Mooradian, 2.Brereton, 3.Hannah Dempsey, 4.Alicia Kavanagh, 5.Katie O’Connor, 6.Orlaith O’Sullivan, 7.Brianne Kaye, 8.Aoife De Faoite, 9.Molly Nason, 10.Sarah McNeil. 11.Sofia Di Stefano. 12.Aoife Tyrell. 13.Aoife Stafford, 14.Chelsie O’Driscoll, 15.Sarah Ennis, 16.Sophie Dempsey
Wexford Squad:
1.Ella Clotty, 2.Tegan Fortune, 3.Leah Walsh, 4.Aoife Curran, 5.Nicole Curran, 6.Niamh Kelly, 7.Emma Clarke, 8.Zara Corrigan, 9.Shannon Maguire, 10.Sinead Ryan, 11.holly Dooley, 12.Hayley Nolan, 13.Amy Wilson, 14.Nicola Davitt, 15.Grace O’Halloran, 16.Molly Browne
Referee: Eric McCann
Assistants Referees: Conor Murphy & Gareth Fletcher
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