Sunday 22nd November saw Gorey U16 Girls welcome Rathdrum to Clonattin for an 11am Leinster League kickoff on a mild morning. With Rathdrum travelling with 14 players, both sides agreed to play 14-a-side instead of the usual 15.
The opening exchanges were evenly contested, with both teams forcing turnovers and testing each other’s defences. Rathdrum were first to settle, however, and struck for three unanswered tries in the space of about 12 minutes to open up a strong lead. Gorey kept their composure and were rewarded just before the break when Rosie Cooper sniped over for a well-taken try after a good team drive, leaving the halftime score 5–19 to Rathdrum.
Gorey started the second half brightly and really put themselves back in the game. Powerful carrying close to the line saw Amelia Doherty crash over for Gorey’s second try, and Hannah Leacy added the conversion to narrow the gap to 12–19. At that stage Gorey had the momentum and belief.
Rathdrum hit back with two more scores, but Gorey refused to lie down. This time it was Heather Considine who broke through the defence to touch down and make it 17–29. Hannah was unlucky not to add the extras, her well-struck conversion attempt rebounding off the upright. With plenty of effort and intent, Gorey were still very much in the contest.
Unfortunately, a growing injury list began to take its toll, with the substitutes’ bench constantly called into action. As bodies tired and reshuffles were required, Rathdrum’s strong back line took advantage in the final quarter. They finished the game with four further tries to pull away on the scoreboard and secure a 53–17 win.
Despite the result, there were plenty of positives for Gorey. The lineout functioned well, the scrum held its own throughout, and the girls always looked capable of creating another scoring chance. Most importantly, every player gave everything for the jersey and played their hearts out right to the final whistle.
Attention now turns to next weekend, when the team travel to Rathdrum for the South-East Plate semi-final, with kickoff at 11:00 on Saturday – another big day ahead for this hardworking group.
Gorey U16 Girls Squad:
Chloe Murphy, Aisling Rooney, Ellen Dixon, Rachel Harkin, Lil Murphy, Lilli Cooper, Isabelle Maher, Rosie Cooper, Hannah Leacy, Robyn Prendergast, Heather Considine, Leah Kinsella, Mary Butler, Zoe D’Arcy (captain), Amelia Doherty, Isabelle Rolland, Cora Dunne
The opening exchanges were evenly contested, with both teams forcing turnovers and testing each other’s defences. Rathdrum were first to settle, however, and struck for three unanswered tries in the space of about 12 minutes to open up a strong lead. Gorey kept their composure and were rewarded just before the break when Rosie Cooper sniped over for a well-taken try after a good team drive, leaving the halftime score 5–19 to Rathdrum.
Gorey started the second half brightly and really put themselves back in the game. Powerful carrying close to the line saw Amelia Doherty crash over for Gorey’s second try, and Hannah Leacy added the conversion to narrow the gap to 12–19. At that stage Gorey had the momentum and belief.
Rathdrum hit back with two more scores, but Gorey refused to lie down. This time it was Heather Considine who broke through the defence to touch down and make it 17–29. Hannah was unlucky not to add the extras, her well-struck conversion attempt rebounding off the upright. With plenty of effort and intent, Gorey were still very much in the contest.
Unfortunately, a growing injury list began to take its toll, with the substitutes’ bench constantly called into action. As bodies tired and reshuffles were required, Rathdrum’s strong back line took advantage in the final quarter. They finished the game with four further tries to pull away on the scoreboard and secure a 53–17 win.
Despite the result, there were plenty of positives for Gorey. The lineout functioned well, the scrum held its own throughout, and the girls always looked capable of creating another scoring chance. Most importantly, every player gave everything for the jersey and played their hearts out right to the final whistle.
Attention now turns to next weekend, when the team travel to Rathdrum for the South-East Plate semi-final, with kickoff at 11:00 on Saturday – another big day ahead for this hardworking group.
Gorey U16 Girls Squad:
Chloe Murphy, Aisling Rooney, Ellen Dixon, Rachel Harkin, Lil Murphy, Lilli Cooper, Isabelle Maher, Rosie Cooper, Hannah Leacy, Robyn Prendergast, Heather Considine, Leah Kinsella, Mary Butler, Zoe D’Arcy (captain), Amelia Doherty, Isabelle Rolland, Cora Dunne
