MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.

MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.

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Mullingar women earn first League victory

October 02, 2015

Mullingar women earn first League victory with workmanlike display

by Finian Coghlan

Mullingar 21 - Old Belvedere 0. Leinster Division 1.
 
After two defeats on the trot, Mullingar got the show back on the road on Sunday with a solid display against an energetic Old Belvedere. With the team almost back to full strength - Tracey Talbot was in Wembley, whilst the Crazy Crisp gimp-limped up the sideline - they looked full surefor a bonus point display after the first quarter, only to fritter away the possibility by not bringing their trusty closure hammer.Yet it all started quite rosily as Layde and Crosby re-acquaintedthemselves with the hunting paddock, and opened up space for the coleagues.It took all of 17 minutes for the breakthrough to manifest, andunsurprisingly it was the queen of Midfield Lou Kelly who found the killer hole beforefeeding her outhalf Crilly who sailed in under the posts.
Now with the lead dander, Mullingar upped the pace and went looking formore. It took all of about five more minutes before they found the secondbreakthrough. Again the architect-in-chief was Kelly who made a break from her own halfand powered on into the Belvo 22 before again selflessly feeding Crilly whothen popped to that bucket of feist Sarah Murphy who also went in under thesticks for 14-0.Four minutes later it looked like Mullingar had got their third try onlyfor the ref to disallow Kim Butler's effort for inadvertent obstruction, howeverthey still went to the break with a healthy lead and looked cruising. However, something must have been put in the Kool-Aid because Mullingarcame out distinctly second best for the second half as Belvo smelt blood.
They seemed to target the left hand side, and on two occasions in the first seven minutes Mullingar had to rely on the super tackling of Sarah Murphytosave the day.It took Mullingar nearly 10 minutes to get close to the Belvo 22, but a bad line-out and a host of missed tackles allowed the visitors rampagedownfield, but fortunately only into the all-enveloping stopping hug of Olive Butler.Just on, Gillian Kelly was making quite the nuisance out of herself, butstillOld Belvo looked like they were ascendant.Sinead Holmes took a super fetch under pressure deep in her own 22, butforgotto call the mark, and Belvo steamed into the territory.This forced Mullingar to front up to the game, and as shown in recentyears, if you ask them, they will do it.It took 20 minutes of soakage before a groove was found, and unsurprisinglyit was Connacht cap Clodagh Cleary who biffed through a handful of tackles tothe Belvo 22. Mullingar were now on the front foot, and the spirit was rising.Again, Kelly was the breakmaker-in-chief and with 10 minutes to go her hole finding orchestrated a multiple overlap for Katie Layde to pick a line ofher choosing and to stroll in again under the sticks.With just minutes remaining the impressive Aoife Hynes made a huge breakfrom deep and looked like she could go all the way only to be denied the bonusscore by an excellent one-on-one tackle. Next week the tough season continues with an away trip to Edenderry.
Team: 1. Aoife Bagnall, 2. Claire Farrelly, 3. Sylvia Rhattigan, 4. AoifeHynes, 5. Alwyn Gibney, 6. Claire O'Brien, 7. Katie Layde, 8. Sarah Crosby (c), 9. Sarah Murphy, 10. Niamh 'Crilly' Kennedy, 11.Sinead 'Goaty' Holmes, 12.Clodagh Cleary, 13. Louise Kelly, 14. Kim Butler, 15. Olive Butler. Subs:GillianKelly, Cathy Sheerin, Aislinn Layde, Caitriona Rickel, Leonie Hartmann.Scorers:Tries: Kennedy, Murphy, Layde, K.Cons: Kennedy 3.

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