Douglas Hall 2 Riverstown 1

DOUGLAS HALL claimed only their second win of the season with a hard-fought win over second-placed Riverstown in the GE Healthcare CWSSL U13 Division 1 league which was played on the grass pitch at Moneygourney.

The home side pressed forward from the start with the best chance in the opening minutes falling to Holly McLaughlin who drove down the wing and into the area only to be denied by the Riverstown keeper Tess Foley right on the near post at the expense of a corner.

Douglas Hall’s period of dominance continued, winning no less than three corners in the opening 10 minutes with their pressure finally paying off in the 12th minute when Holly McLaughlin’s cross found Lily O’Keeffe inside the area whose low shot found the far corner of the Riverstown net for the opening score.

Five minutes later Riverstown equalised when Chloe Lynch managed to get behind the Douglas Hall defence and neatly slotted the ball past Onagh Smithers from inside the area and into the net.

Douglas Hall’s Niamh Gambura’s effort went just wide of the Riverstown posts while at the other end Riverstown’s Elsie Long’s shot from outside the area was covered by the Douglas Hall keeper Smithers as the teams went in level at the break.

Play went from end to end at the restart as both teams looked for a period of dominance knowing that the fame was there for the taking.

However, in the 41st minute Douglas Hall’s Rose Davis, who came on as a substitute only moments earlier, managed to get behind the Riverstown defence and chipped the ball past the Riverstown keeper as the ball bounced over the line for the home sides second of the day.

Douglas Hall keeper Smithers did well to gather the ball from an advancing Chloe Lynch as the visitors pressed forward with Olivia Keogh’s long-range free kick going wide of the posts as the visitors looked to get back into the game.

In the end, time ran out for the visitors as it was the home side who took the three points and jump into third place in the table, one point behind their opponents but a long way off runaway leaders Ringmahon as the league heads into the Christmas break shortly.

Douglas Hall: Onagh Smithers, Beth McLaughlin, Suzy Russell, Arabelle Sheehan, Poppy Lynch, Niamh Gambura, Holly McLaughlin, Ruth Kingston, Emma Davis, Lily O’Keeffe, Rose Davis, Darcey Finn, Sadhb Barry, Aoife James

Riverstown: Tess Foley, Elle O’Callaghan, Sophie Browne, Lucia McSweeney, Olivia Keogh, Faye Cronin, Robyn Walsh, Aisling Lynch, Aoibhinn Boyle, Blaithin O’Mahony, Chloe Lynch, Fia Comerford, Ellie Long

Referee: Kieran Burns.