Longford Women get back on the Winning Trail   06/02/2019

030219 Leinster Women’s League Division CYM 07 Longford 32

By Nuala McGoey Women’s Head Coach

Longford Women were on the road again this week to Dublin outfit CYM and after last week’s poor performance were hoping to play a lot better this week.  It was a bitterly cold day with a strong wind blowing down the pitch. Longford started with the wind at their backs and right from the kick off were on the attack. The forwards put a few nice phases together and then Emma Dardis spread the ball out the backs. Rachael O’Farrell put in a clever kick, chased it down and managed to get her toe to it again and then picked it up to go over for a great try. The conversion was missed.

From the restart CYM got their hands on the ball and tried working the ball up the field but Longford’s defence was working well and a great choke tackle secured them the turnover. The resulting scrum was in the middle of the pitch and with a penalty advantage for the CYM scrum half being offside, the away team spread it out the backs.  Maria Kelleher then broke a few tackles and outpaced everyone to score under the posts. Megan Banahan added the extra two points. The home team then started to get into the match and work their way into Longford’s 22 but some great pressure defence from Longford forced the knock on and from the scrum they manged to clear the danger. Longford then lost Maria Kelleher to the Sin Bin for 10 mins for a high tackle.  After the yellow, CYM worked the ball out wide trying to find space with Longford down to fourteen players.  However, Laura Gallagher did some great work on the ground and turned over the ball.  Longford then made the good decision to keep the ball in the forwards and worked their way through some good rucks with Natalie O’Reilly, Irene Murtagh and Nichola Farrell making some good carries.  CYM were penalised for hands in the ruck in front of the posts and Megan Banahan dispatched the kick for three points to Longford into a 0 to 15 lead.

CYM restarted the game and from the kick off Dora Ledwith dived on and cleaned up a messy ball. A few big carries from Louise Hillary, Fidelma Fallon and Rebecca Duffy drew in the CYM defence.  The ball was then spread out the backs for Rachael O’Farrell to again speed through the CYM defence to score under the posts with Banahan adding the extra two points.

Longford found themselves on the attack again with debutant Monica Bannon getting stuck in.  They forced a scrum inside the CYM 22. Hannah Shea carried strongly from the base only to be stopped 5 metres out.  After some good recycling hooker Fidelma Fallon powered over the line for another try to leave the half time score 0 to 17.

The second half saw Longford play into a strong wind.  However, right from the restart they gathered the ball and worked it down the pitch.  Fidelma Fallon and Dora Ledwith both got stopped inches from the line.  Megan Banahan then tried to get over but was stopped short, but quick ball and a great pass from Rachael put Maria Kelleher in space to cross for a try, with the conversion narrowly missed against a strong wind.

CYM then started to get their hands on the ball and were soon almost in for a try but got held up over the line.  From the resultant five metre scrum CYM tried to bash their way over the line but Longford’s well organised defence was resolute.  However, CYM’s pressure eventually told and after being awarded a few free kicks and penalties they went over for a well deserved try under the posts, which was converted.

Longford went back on the attack from the restart and Megan Jobe put in a great kick behind the CYM defence, which forced the home team to carry the ball out over the side line.  Longford won the lineout and spread it out across the back line but cold hands resulted in a knock on. CYM tried to move the ball off the back of the scrum but Longford’s defence was up quickly and forced CYM to knock on. The away team again worked the ball well through their forwards and the ball should have gone out their backs quicker but instead got knocked on in the ruck. Longford again put serious pressure on CYM trying to clear their lines and forced a mistake.  Longford went on the attack only five metres out but again the bitterly cold weather saw the ball being knocked on. The referee then blew for full time to leave Longford with a confidence boasting 32 to 07 win.

Longford will be very pleased with this win knowing that they still left a few tries on the pitch in the second half. They have next weekend off before taking on Tullamore in the last league game at home on the 17th of February.

Irene Murtagh, Fidelma Fallon, Louise Hillary, Dora Ledwith, Rebecca Duffy, Natalie O’Reilly, Nicola Farrell, Hannah Shea, Emma Dardis, Megan Banahan, Rachael O’Farrell, Maria Kelleher ,Megan Jobe, Monica Bannon, Rebecca O’Hara & Laura Gallagher.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Sunday February 17th Tullamore Leinster League (Home).

All Kick Offs are at 1 PM.

Longford Women in action v Naas











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