|
|
Triumphant Urris take county title
30.07.09
by David Hession
URRIS' Under-12 girls are the toast of Clonmany
after capping a fantastic season by winning the
Donegal ‘A’ Final against Fanad. The awe-inspiring
win in Convoy was the culmination of a perfect 10
game-winning record and resulted in the first ever
county title for an Urris girls' team. Played in
ideal conditions on a flawless pitch, the Urris
girls put in an almost faultless performance cheered
on heartily by the large travelling support.
This was the second successive year that the Urris
team had reached the final with many of the girls on
the side which had lost out last year against
Milford. There was to be no repeat of that scenario
and Urris came out with all guns blazing right from
the throw in. Yvonne Devlin, one half of the Urris
centre field duo, drove over a long range point
inside the first minute which was quickly followed
by a point and a goal from Urris full forward Nicole
Gordon. Fanad were reeling under the onslaught and
were knocked back further when first Aine Bradley,
Urris’ speedy centre forward and then Nicole Gordon
found the back of the net again in quick succession.
Urris were 11 points to the good before Fanad could
make a reply after a quarter of an hour with a well
struck free. |
 |
Urris dominance around
the middle of the park was almost total with Sarah
McGonigle, Yvonne Devlin, Siobhan Roddy and Aine
Bradley mopping up virtually every ball that came
their way. The Fanad girls could not keep up with
the pace and movement of the Urris attack and soon
found themselves further behind when both the Urris
centre fielders pointed and Aine |
Bradley found the back of the net - again
for her second goal of the game.
Fanad staged a mini-revival with a well taken goal
after momentary confusion in the Urris backline
allowed their centre forward a look at the target.
Urris managed to clear their lines from the
resultant kick out and the Fanad revival was firmly
snubbed out when the next Urris attack resulted in
an own goal, a further point from Gordon before
half-time gave the Clonmany side a 5 – 05 to 1 -01
lead as they went into the break.
The Fanad team talk brought their girls out for the
second half with renewed spirit and they laid siege
to the Urris goal for much of the next ten minutes.
Resolute defending from the full backs, Clare
Doherty and sisters Catherine and Mary Devlin along
with some solid saves from team captain Shannon
Devlin meant the Fanad girls couldn’t get the score
they were pressing so hard for, with the help of
both Kate Devlin and Chanise Gill, the Urris wing
backs, Devlin always had an outlet for her kicks and
Urris were able to weather the storm. Midfielder
Yvonne Devlin added two more to her eventual tally
of 4 points when Urris were able to break out from
the Fanad stranglehold around their net. Fanad got a
deserved goal at the ten minute mark but dropped
their guards again as Urris swarmed up the pitch in
a move involving Chanise Gill, Emma Devlin and
eventually Nicole Gordon who finished with aplomb to
complete her hat trick. |
 |
Urris
rang the changes at this stage with cousins Laura
McGonigle and Clare McCarron who completed the full
forward line with Gordon replaced by Mari McCarron
and Ceira Bradley. Charlotte McDaid and Leanne Kelly
also came on to replace cornerbacks Catherine Devlin
and Clare Doherty who had earned well-deserved rests
for the remaining quarter of an hour.
Gráinne Hession was to take the last two scores of
the game having been switched from her role as left
half forward to centre forward. She was in the right
place at the right time when her fellow wing forward
Emma Devlin, drove the ball low across the Fanad
goal, and she was able to direct the ball goal wards
away from the dive of the Fanad net minder. A well
taken solo point from Hession in the last few
minutes added further to the woes of a well beaten
Fanad side that never stopped trying despite not
much going their way for most of the evening.
The final whistle blew and the ghosts of last year
were finally vanquished when Urris captain Shannon
Devlin raised the cup aloft in front of a throng of
cheering teammates and supporters. This is the first
Urris girls’ team to win a County title and will
surely act as a spur to the other Inishowen teams to
try and emulate them in the years to come. Final
score Urris 7 -09 Fanad 2 - 01. |
|
