Keating leads the way with hat-trick for Athletic girls
LFA Womens Junior Shield quarter-final: Mullingar Athletic 6, Mountmellick United 0
Sometimes a scoreline tells its own tale, and this was one of those occasions as Mullingar Athletic sailed comfortable to the LFA Women’s Junior Shield semi-final with an emphatic and totally deserved six-goal demolition of Mountmellick in Gainstown on Sunday afternoon last.
Indeed this could have run up to any score, as Athletic spurned many great chances and could have won by far more, such was their dominance. Complete control of midfield by Fiona Keating, Leona Archibold and Megan Brick laid the foundation for others to express themselves, and this they did in fine fashion.
Keating set the bar high, scoring a first half hat-trick, with Archibold adding a fourth in the opening half while playing into a stiff breeze. In the second half, Megan Brick and sub Michelle Connolly completed the rout with tasty finishes that epitomised the gulf in class between the sides.
In truth, Athletic could have and should have scored more, but on the day six was the number after a fine display from one to eleven.
The wind was a major factor in Gainstown on Sunday, and playing with it on their backs, Athletic went after their task from the kick-off. After going close in their opening attack, Fiona Keating netted a beauty from a free kick on four minutes, which zipped past the Mountmellick goalie.
Athletic continued to press, but left themselves exposed at the back and were lucky that Danielle Feane did not level with the goal gaping. Somehow, she managed to fire over.
Athletic heeded the warning and on 17 minutes Keating doubled their and her own personal tally with an almost complete replica of her opening strike that rocketed into the roof of the net. Two became three when Leona Archibold headed bravely and accurately from a Karen McDermott corner, and at this stage Athletic looked as if they could score every time they moved forward.
Avril Curley in goal kept Mountmellick at bay, but injured herself in the process and had to be replaced. But it didn’t disrupt the Athletic groove, and Keating added a fourth on 40 minutes directly from a corner. She almost repeated the dose 50 seconds later, but at 4-0 the home side were comfortable and buoyant at the break following a half which they owned and bossed.
Mountmellick had their best spell immediately on the resumption, and could have pulled a couple back but for some superb goalkeeping by sub Karen Walsh. One could also feel the confidence drain form the visitors.
Megan Brick added a fifth on 54 minutes after a superb through-ball by Karen McDermott after breaking up a Mountmellick attack, and that almost signalled the white flag from the Laois ladies, as Athletic totally dominated possession to the end of the game, with Aoife Byrne very unlucky not to add more with some excellent play.
The sixth came when the superb Archibold slid through a brilliant defence splitting pass for sub Michelle Connolly to slip expertly to the net for the half dozen after lobbing the keeper.
From there to the end it was a matter of how many with another sub, Alysha Brown, very unlucky not to add to the scoreline with a couple of efforts.
But it mattered little, as Athletic ran out easy winners with plenty to spare.
Scorers – Mullingar Athletic: F Keating (3), L Archibold, M Brick and M Connolly.
Mullingar Athletic: Avril Curley, Alex Davis, Carol Glennon, Naoise O’Donoghue, Aoife Kenny, Leona Archibald, Karen McDermott, Fiona Keating, Megan Brick, Andrea Buckley, Aoife Byrne. Subs: Karen Walsh for Curley (inj., 37), Michelle Connolly for Buckley (61), Alysha Brown for Byrne (71), Rose O’Brien for McDermott (76), Chloe Daly for Brick (82).
Mountmellick United: Brianna Dunne, Caoimhe Kenna, Colleen Rickard, Linda Lee, Orla Carroll, Amy Grehan, Clodagh Brogan, Amy Coss, Danielle Feane, Kiahara Dempsey, Jacinta Nevin.
Ref: Adam Burke.
Player of the match: Fiona Keating (Mullingar Athletic).
— Paul Doolin