By Finian Coghlan

MULLINGAR 21

CYM WOMEN 19

There have been a couple of heartwarming displays this year, most notably frightening both St Mary’s and Rathdrum here on the carpet and nearly bagging the bonus at Belvo, but the Heifers signed off on the 2017-18 league season with the best yet – squeezing out a two point win.

O’Brien and Andrews shelved their bus passes for one more go, and newbies Kelly and Feery toddled along exquisitely in their wake of experience.

Aislinn Layde punctuated her performance will a well-deserved duck-breaker, as herself, Lafferty and the teak-tough McCormack laid waste to all before them.

But without doubt the stand-out performance was the extraordinary Ruth Daniels whose lines of running  caused panic and consternation in the CYM ranks, and she thoroughly deserved her two tries – even  if circumstance and the ref deemed her second a penalty try after she was clotheslined on the line.

Mullingar spent the first 20 minutes in the CYM half looking like they should.

However, all they had to show was a missed Taite penalty and a growing confidence in their visitors.

This, with the numbers advantage, materialised into a surprise on the half hour when CYM took the lead when too many gaps appeared.

But on they rattled with McCormack making three enormous tackles in front of seven retired Heifers to offer the return of mojo.

Then, with two minutes remaining in the half Taite’s boot got them back in danger places before the superb Aislinn Layde stuck a lovely hand-off to get herself enough space for her first ever try and her team’s parity at the break.

Now playing with 13, Mullingar had too many gaps to fill, and when Ruth Daniels knocked on from a missed penalty, they pushed over for a simple lead.

It took the young one from Coole just five minutes to make up for this when she picked a super line to scythe through under the sticks for the equalizer.

Now the dander was rattlin’, and on they bashed.

Some big forward work through O’Brien and Layde offered Daniels an almost identical line and she only went and did it again, only to be stopped illegally round the neck where the ref had no option than award the penalty try for a lead they were not going to concede.

In fairness, CYM did not roll over and came back hard but the 13 Heifers stood tall.

In the 72^nd minute Taite found her line at pace and made 40m, nearly releasing Crilly. Which would have helped.

But again, the visitors made use of their numerical advantage when Paula Lafferty – a warrior all day – had to limp to the line, and they squeezed one into the corner.  Unconverted.

Now, Mullingar clung to their two points advantage and the 12 shut up a very good shop.

In fact, they should have extended their lead when Smurf picked up a poor clearance rounded two and was in open acres down the blind when she was whistled back for a casualty Layde had left prostrate a few moments earlier.

But no matter. They saw out the final whistle and remain a still unrelegated  team for another go next year.

They can now all gather their bruises and knocks for a recuperative five weeks before Suttonians come to town for the first round of the cup on March 25.

Scorers:

Tries: Daniels. Layde, Penalty Try

Cons: Taite 2.

Team: 1. Sarah Kelly, 2.Adrienne Andrews,  3. Tasha Feery, 4. Paula Lafferty, 5. Alwyn Gibney, 6. Ruth Daniels, 7. Aislinn Layde, 8. Claire O’Brien, 9. Sarah ‘Smurf’ Murphy, 10.Ellen ‘Tayto’ Taite, 11.Laura McCormack, 12. Muireann  Scally, 13. Niamh ‘Crilly’ Kennedy  14. Ciara Munnelly,