Womens XV v UL Bohs (A) 04.02.2018

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Match Report
WOMEN XV V UL BOHS (A)
04.02.18

The St. Marys Women travelled to Limerick to face the AIL Division 1 table toppers and reigning champions, UL Bohs, on Sunday. Aware of the strength and experience in this Munster side, the Marys girls set out with determination and eagerness. The scoreboard did not truly reflect the effort and determination, nor the attaching spirit, shown by St Marys. Three tries by the away side, a feat not previously achieved this season against Bohs, were highlights.

Quick thinking by Aoife Thompson allowed for a quick tap and go with an offload to Christy Haney, which saw the prop forward cross the white wash after 24 minutes and giving Marys their first points on the board. Try was converted by Shayne Richardson bringing the half time score to 43-7 in favour of UL Bohs.

A combination of both affective place kicking by Sarah Duignan and a perfectly executed lineout throw by Emma Kiernan allowed Captain Aoife Moore to set up a maul, resulting in Melissa Hayden storming over the Bohs line and touching down, bringing the score to 50-12 in favour of UL Bohs. With a lack of ball possession, Marys were forced to play a tough defensive game against the home crowd. Strong leadership by Ciara Scanlan and Casey O’Brien in the back line insured quick line speed and hard hits. Great speed and commitment by Sinead Lennon and Scho Veyssiere warranted vital tackles deep in the Marys twenty-two.

Marys final score came in the last eight minutes of the game. Harrowing efforts by the DCU duo, Laura Power and Emma Lackey, helped penetrate the Bohs strong defensive line. A combined team effort through a series of pick and jams saw the very versatile Melissa Hayden take ownership of scoring St Marys final try. Try was converted by Richardson, bringing the score to 77-19. Final score of the match was 89 -19, a credit to the hard work and skill on show by UL.

Although disappointed with the loss, many positive aspects can be taken by the gallant performance of the Marys girls. Playing against a team that is a division higher shows us all the areas that we need to improve on and allows us to set our standards higher as we aim to reach our goal of getting back into the AIL division next season. Next up the St Marys Women face Edenderry on 18th February in the last of the regular seasons matches, before the team move into two consecutive home semi-finals.

By Emma Hooban