Leinster Women's League Div 1

Shay Murtagh Park.

Mullingar 17 Carlow Coyotes 15

By Finian Coghlan

Oh, this was an outing that got properly industrial, as bitches got into faces, and did so in the entirety of slapland and full feistyness, because when the Herd get this poked they bring it to what is required, and stand up with full flex. 

And they won it. Even on the back foot, in the darkness of cling, they done it.

They may all limp til Thursday, but they all understand the point of the limp.

This is a posse that will stand slow and stalwart in front of all, and no one will tell them otherwise.

Despite full on first efforts, looking like it was one way traffic, the Heifers took the punches and went two tries to nil down in the first 25 minutes.

The uphill struggle is something they know, and thus they did.

On the half hour- after an encounter of effort - the hungry Layde was popped a peach on full crash, and the gap was halved.

Mullingar now had some dander back, and this was multiplied just on the half time when Daniels charged down a clearance kick and Ellen Taite picked up the remains and put the herd 12-10 up at halftime.

The confidence was back, and when Feery went for her first substantial gallop in the second half to the edge of the line, the rest of them followed.

Five minutes in, Smurf took one out of the clouds and fed Daniels.

She found Crilly in space who offered it to Feery for divilment, and she wove herself all the way home for a lead that Tayto clipped in off the post.

Game should’ve been home and hosed with six minutes remaining when McCormack was offered the corner , but she couldn’t shake off her ‘V’ plates just yet.

The Coyotes now had quite the scent and went for it.

Gibney, O’Brien and Andrews did their thing for oul burds, and the gap was kept, til the 45^th minute of the second half when the Carlow pressure paid off and they snuck one in where they shouldnd’ve.

Fingernails were chewed, but the conversion was missed, and Mullingar Heifers claimed a second win in consecutive weeks to put a whole new gloss on a season of further possibility.

Scorers:

Tries: Layde, Taite, Feery.

Cons: Taite

Team: 1. Sarah Kelly, 2. Gillian Kelly , 3. Alwyn Gibney, 4. Sylvia Rattigan, 5. Paula Lafferty, 6. Annemarie Farrelly, 7. Claire O’Brien, 8. Katie Layde, 9. Sarah ‘Smurf’ Murphy, 10.Ellen Taite, 11.Laura McCormack, 12. Ruth Daniels, 13. Niamh Kennedy  14. Nikki Feery,  15. Muireann  Scally. Subs used: Adrienne Andrews, Louise Kelly, Louise Hargadon.