Offaly girls crowned U15 national Community Games soccer champions

KILLEIGH Under 15 girls were crowned National Community Games soccer champions following the national finals which were held in Carlow last weekend.

Led by team manager Aidan Doyle and coaches Patricia Condron, Niall Stack and Theresa O’Meara the girls won the honour of representing Offaly when they beat a very strong Tullamore side 1-0 at Leah Victoria Park.

Both teams were hampered by the strong breeze on the day, but Killeigh just did enough when Leah Stack scored the winning goal with a long range first half strike following a nice lay-off from Katie Dunne Guilfoyle.

Victory in Offaly saw the girls progress to the Leinster quarter-final where they played Westmeath winners Drumraney/Tang.

Killeigh started this game very quickly and were in front after five mins when a corner from Leah Stack sailed directly into the net at an unguarded back post.

Killeigh doubled the lead within minutes when Ailish Walsh prodded the ball home following confusion in the Westmeath box from another dangerous corner.

Killeigh had more good chances, none more so than when a shot from Thea Farrell was well saved by the opposition goalkeeper, but the game ended 2-0 and Killeigh progressed to the Leinster finals.

Leinster final day saw the Killeigh girls face Longford champions Keenagh, who had earlier that day defeated Meath representatives Summerhill.

Again Killeigh started brightly on what was to become their best performance of the season. Goals from Leah Stack (two), Aimee Gill, Katie Cuskelly and captain Kayla Lawlor saw the girls through to the national finals on a 5-0 a scoreline but special mention on this occasion should go to Laura Condron who had a player of the match performance in midfield as well as the centre backs Louise Doyle and Meabh Dillon who were dominant in the Killeigh back line.

Carlow was the venue for the finals and Killeigh were handed a very tough draw when they faced reigning national champions and finalists for the fourth year running Roscrea of Tipperary.

The game started in very wet conditions and both teams took a bit of time to find their rhythm. Roscrea started the brightest playing some nice one touch football, but it was Killeigh who took the lead when Maddie McDonnell played a defence splitting pass to release Laura Condron who chipped the Roscrea keeper from outside the box.

Killeigh could have been 2-0 up within minutes, but a goal from a direct free kick was belatedly disallowed when the referee blew the whistle because another football had come on to the pitch.

This stroke of luck gave the excellent Roscrea team a boost and they piled on the pressure in the second half as they went in search of an equaliser.

Killeigh captain Kayla Lawlor seemed to cover every blade of grass trying the shutdown the opposition, and Louise Doyle and Meabh Dillon battled tirelessly against the Roscrea attackers by getting their bodies in the way just as chances fell to the opposition.

Roscrea continued to look dangerous deep into injury time, but Killeigh were saved when goalkeeper Ellen Gorman dived at full stretch to deny Roscrea a late equaliser.

Soon after the referee blew his whistle and a jubilant Killeigh had their goalkeeper to thank for getting them through to the national final.

It was late afternoon when the final kicked off against Mayo and Connacht champions Balla. Early on you could see that the Killeigh girls were tired following their exertions in the semi-final, but they showed huge heart and determination in matching the Mayo champions in the early stages.

Mayo were dangerous from wide positions but Killeigh full backs Robyn O’Reilly and Mikel O’Meara were equal to the challenge and both girls put in tremendous performances.

Killeigh played a high defensive line for most of the first half but any threat from a Mayo through ball was well read by Ellen Gorman in the Killeigh goal who acted as sweeper at the first sign of danger.

Killeigh took the lead late in the first half when a ball into the box from the ever dangerous Leah Stack created confusion in the Mayo backline. Both Katie Dunne Guilfoyle and Aimee Gill had shots blocked before the ball broke to Laura Condron who scored her second goal of the day.

Mayo continued to apply pressure in the second half, but Killeigh captain Kayla Lawlor put in a player of the match performance to snuff out any danger from the opposition.

As the game entered the latter stages you could see that two games in one day was having a major effect on the energy levels of both teams.

The last 10 minutes were mostly uneventful and Killeigh held on to be crowned Under 15 National Champions.

It was a great achievement for the parish having been crowned Under 12 National Champions the previous year, with Leah Stack, Aimee Gill and Thea Farrell all winning back-to-back national titles.

Killeigh squad: Ellen Gorman, Mikel O’Meara, Robyn O’Reilly, Louise Doyle, Meabh Dillon, Maddie McDonnell, Laura Condron, Kayla Lawlor, Leah Stack, Katie Dunne Guilfoyle, Aimee Gill, Ailish Walsh, Katie Cuskelly, Thea Farrell.

Results -

Offaly final: Tullamore 0, Killeigh 1

Leinster quarter-final: Tang/Drumraney (Westmeath ) 0, Killeigh (Offaly) 2

Leinster semi-final: Killeigh (Offaly) v Ballon/Rathoe (Carlow) Bye

Leinster final: Killeigh (Offaly) 5, Keenagh (Longford) 0

National semi-final: Killeigh (Offaly) 1, Roscrea (Tipperary) 0

National final: Killeigh (Offaly) 1, Balla (Mayo) 0