Leinster League Div 1, 

at Shay Murtagh Park.

Mullingar 5 Rathdrum 10

By Finian Coghlan

Well, well, well. So it seems all rumours concerning the demise of the Herd are mistaken, after this heartwarming display against a very dangerous Rathdrum side who put nearly 120 points on Mullingar last season.

OK, it was a home defeat, albeit one with a valuable bonus point, but had Mullingar the self-belief at the start that they did at the finish, the Wicklow side would have probably been ‘Drummed’ out the gate, such was the ferocity in the second half.

Now, it did no harm to spring the vastly experienced trio of Claire Farrelly, Louise Kelly and Sylvia Rattigan from the byre and their steel and nous lifted all with a classic example of show, don’t tell.

And it’s almost a pleasure to say that Katie Layde’s was not the stand-out performance, and that’s not to say her ultra-high standards have shrunk, it’s that her newish herd has began to grow in around her.

Women like Sarah Kelly, Clodagh Gunn and Michelle O’Reilly up in the engine room put in the sort of under-stated shift that Claire O’Brien, Crosby  and Aoife Bagnall used to be famous for, and they will be well pleased in their retirement that the apprenticeships are now filled.

But it was the newbie dancers out back – Scally, Daniels, and Feery -  who ran the visitors ragged with sabre lines, and allowed the older memories on the line to finally begin to lose the wist for the pantheon that is Lou, Jen and Olive.

They started poor, though, probably because of memories, but mainly because Rathdrum are a very well drilled side. They found a first opening in just three minutes, and we briefly worried about floodgates.

They stayed camped in Mullingar’s half for the next 20 minutes before they forced over their second try, but marvelously, the ensuing hour was to pretty much be all Mullingar.

Off a very solid pack, Taite was beginning to spot holes and let slip Molloy on two very menacing occasions.

Muireann Scally also got a bit of a burn on late in the first  half to give Rathdrum something to think about, and they went to the break just 10 points down.

The herd came out and set up prime grazing pasture deep in Rathdrum territory.

Twice in the first eight minutes Taite nearly loosed off Lou Kelly into the far left corner,  and if she’d had a game and a half more mileage in the tank she’d’ve bagged herself a worthy brace.

It took Rathdrum a total of 12 minutes before they set foot in the Mullingar half, but it was only a courtesy visit.

Ruth Daniels returned her herd back to the visitors’ 22 with a mighty run just on the hour mark, and they set up to cut.

Rattigan, Farrelly and the Layde sisters knocked very loudly, before Gillian Kelly turned in the next tackle to feed Taite quickly.

She whipped it down the line through Daniels and Holmes who cannily paused for the magic moment to buy in two defenders before feeding the storming Feery who sprinted home for a most deserved score.

Taite was now pinning them right back with an astute kicking game, and the herd lasciviously lapped up the fresh territory.

Confidence was at an all-time high and just one more gap would have won it for Mullingar, but Rathdrum showed just why they are one of the best sides in Leinster and they pinched out the result on the flat of their backs.

Post game huddle and the pride was evident throughout.

“We can win this f***in’ league,” said a very spirited skipper Ellen Taite, and nobody disagreed with her.

Next fixture

Next Sunday, October 22, the Heifers travel to Templeville Road to take on the might of recently relegated St Marys from the AIL. Bring it on.

Scorers:

Tries: Feery.

Team: 1. Sarah Kelly, 2. Alwyn Gibney, 3. Gillian Kelly, 4. Aislinn Layde, 5. Paula Lafferty, 6. Michelle O’Reilly, 7. Clodagh Gunn, 8. Katie Layde, 9. Sarah ‘Smurf’ Murphy, 10.Ellen Taite, 11.Sinead Holmes, 12.  Muireann Scally, 13, Ruth Daniels, 14. Siofra Molloy, 15. Nikki Feery. Subs used: Claire Farrelly, Sylvia Rattigan. Louise Kelly, Tasha Feery,  Ciara Munnelly.

Try scorers (15.10.17): Donal Liddy , Eoin Moore, Nikki Feery  (3), Ruth Daniels, Paul Maxwell (2), Darech Geraghty, Ellen Taite, Katie Layde, , Muireann Scally.