25 Sep Match Report: Women’s 1st’s 27 Athy 12
Navan Women’s 1st’s had their second League game of the season welcoming Athy to Balreask Old. The weather was going to make this a very tight affair with a lot of pressure on the forwards for set piece. Athy were first to strike, nabbing a try in the first two minutes and securing the extra two. Navan settled into the game. Some strong carries from the forward pack gave Navan an excellent platform to launch their attack. 𝙆𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣 managed to draw in to two players to release 𝘼𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝘾𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙮 with the winger crashing over in the left corner. Caffrey, fresh from her try scoring duties collected the restart, carried strong up the pitch. Navan resourced their ruck, giving 𝙋𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙖 𝙆𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 quick ball. Her crisp passing released 𝙀𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙅𝙤 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 who evaded her defender and found herself in space, racing up the pitch. With Navan on the attack 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚 nabbed Navan’s second try of the day, diving from close range.
𝙄𝙨𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙣 sliced through the Athy defence after excellent carries from the pack, collecting her third try of the campaign. The engine room of 𝙀𝙢𝙢𝙖 𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙗𝙮 and 𝙈𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮 worked tirelessly throughout the afternoon to create space. Edging closer to half-time Navan were hoping to benefit from their possession and White collected the fourth try of the day. 𝘼𝙤𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙍𝙮𝙖𝙣 got her name on the scoring sheet with her conversion. The strong wind picked up in the second half, Athy benefitting from it. Even with many forced changes from both sides defence stayed strong with neither team conceding ground. Athy broke the deadlock with their winger dotting dot after a prolonged period of pressure. With the time ticking away the Navan scrum gave dynamic No 8 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚 a platform to release 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙁𝙞𝙩𝙯𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙙 for the final try of the game, in the last play of the game.
At the final whistle Navan were delighted to collect maximum points against an experienced Athy side.
Navan now sit in first place in Division three after two rounds.
Next Fixture is away to Portlaoise next Sunday, 1st October.
All with thanks to Team Sponsor Berminghams Bar
Navan Senior Women’s 1st Team Squad:
1) Emily-Jo White, 2) Róisín Watters, 3) Lauren Fitzpatrick, 4) Emma Looby, 5) Mairead Carty, 6) Aoife Ryan, 7) Ava Galvin, 8) Rosie Searle, 9) Paula Keating, 10) Ciara Quinn, 11) Alanna Caffrey, 12) Molly Fitzgerald, 13) Kayleigh Crinion, 14) Shaunagh Keogan, 15) Isabelle Brereton, 16) Racheal Browne, 17) Meabh Sexton, 18) Louise Crinion, 19) Geraldine Lynch, 20) Jackie Shiels, 21) Allie Flynn.