Youghal make Riverstown pay the penalty in CWSSL U13 win

Riverstown B 0 

Youghal 1 

YOUGHAL finished off their CWSSL U13 Division 3 season with a win and all three points against Riverstown B in a narrow 1-0 win in a mid table clash at the GACA grounds in Riverstown recently.

Both teams had a difficult season but were up against three teams who were competing for honours with only one point separating the top three teams while the reminder of the group were playing off for places and pride.

However, it was Youghal who claimed the win thanks to a first half penalty kick from Amy Lane in the 10th minute in a game which was played in brilliant sunshine on a near perfect pitch.

The visitors started strongly with the Riverstown keeper Rebecca Cotter seeing a lot more of the ball than she would have liked in the opening minutes with the best chance falling to Youghal’s Tori Pierce who ran into the area only to be denied a shooting chance from a well timed tackle from a Riverstown defender.

Riverstown pressed forward themselves with Eabha Ni Fhlatharta encroaching into the Youghal penalty area with the defenders doing their job in keeping her out and preventing her from shooting towards goal although she did have a good chance on goal which was well covered by the Youghal keeper Natalia Rokicka.

In the 10th minute Youghal’s Amy Lane was brought down in the area at the near post and duly converted the spot kick to give Youghal the lead.

Riverstown looked for the equaliser with Grainne Ni Fhlatharta’s effort by the end line covered by Rokicka at the near post while Jane Ryan had an effort which was well saved by the Youghal keeper at the far post.

Youghal counter attacked on a couple of occasions with Amy Lane having two good chances both of which went wide as the half came to a close.

Play went from end to end in the early stages of the second half with Youghal’s Vera Barrett and Tori Pierce both denied by Rebecca Cotter in the Riverstown goal and did well to gather ahead of Roisin Power during a goal mouth scramble.

Riverstown came forward yet again, but couldn’t get a decent shot in at goal although they almost got the equaliser in the 57th minute when the ball bounced around inside the Youghal six yard box and went right across the goal line before being cleared away by the frantic Youghal defenders.

In the end it was the visitors who took the points in a game where there was no league pressure on the final week of the season but full credit to both teams who played like it was a cup final as they both look forward to the new playing season next September.

Best for Riverstown were Grainne Deasy, Eabha Ni Fhlatharta, Melanie O’Keeffe and Lily O’Mahony, while best for Youghal were Tori Pierce, Amy Lane, Roisin Power and Niamh Murray.

Riverstown B: Rebecca Cotter, Ali Brennan, Lilly O’Reilly, Lucy Horgan, Grainne Deasy, Eabha Ni Fhlatharta, Aine Morrissey, Jane Ryan, Aoibh McGrath, Lily O’Mahony, Katie Martin, Carly Condon, Olivia Nyhan, Melanie O’Keeffe, Lily O’Connell, Abbie O’Connor 

Youghal: Natalia Rokicka, Eabha Kennefick, Roisin Power, Casey Lucey, Abbie Hourihan, Aine O’Connor, Anna Leahy, Charlotte O’Driscoll, Niamh Murray, Eibhinn O’Brien, Amy Lane, Lily Swayne, Lena Cunningham, Libby Gleeson, Vera Barrett, Ailbhe Motherway, Nessa O’Callaghan, Tori Pierce 

Referee: Rory McGrath.