BSJ Senior Ladies Advance to Championship Final
BSJ 2-12 St. Maur’s 1-08
On a perfect evening for football the BSJ Senior Ladies hosted a strong St. Maur’s side on the newly laid AWP surface at BCS in the semi final of the PTSB Ladies Intermediate Championship. The home support turned out in force to support the BSJ girls, creating a cracking atmosphere and they were treated to a high-quality game of football.
The game started evenly with defences on top. It was clear from early on, however, that the St. Maur’s girls had travelled with intent with great intensity to their play forcing turnovers and breaking up the BSJ attacks. It was taking the BSJ players some time to settle, and the visitors were keen to take advantage. With the scores level at 0-02 apiece a ball that looked likely to be cleared by the defence fell to the Maur’s attack and yielded an opportunistic goal. In a tight game it felt like a score that was worth more than the 3 points.
But the Ballinteer girls navigated their way through that period of pressure and began to exert some attacking pressure of their own and good team play yielded 3 excellent points from play. As the half time whistle blew the BSJ girls were well in the hunt trailing by just the minimum 0-06 to 1-04.
On the restart the Maur’s girls worked a good move in the first minute to register a good score and stretch their lead. But it felt like the Ballinteer girls now upped the pace a little and were gaining most of the possession and pinning the Maur’s girls back. A dropping ball in the Maur’s goalmouth, the most dangerous of deliveries in football, rebounded of the frame of the goal to be palmed back to the net. The vocal support roared their appreciation as BSJ hit the front 1-06 to 1-05.
Some good attacking play yielded 3 more scores while brilliant defending at the swimming pool end limited the Maur’s girls to a solitary response. Then a great team move saw the Maur’s defence in trouble and a desperate tackle yielded a penalty for the home team. With hearts in mouths and supporters peeping out through their fingers the penalty was finished emphatically to the net and suddenly there was a little daylight between the teams 2-09 to 1-07. Two more points followed good attacks, and it seemed that the BSJ girls had done enough to lead by 7.
But Maur’s are a formidable team and knew they needed to raise a green flag to claw their way back. They ran hard at the home goal moving left and right attempting to stretch the defence but, on each occasion, they found the superb Ballinteer defence turning them back.
After what seemed like an age the referee finally called time and Ballinteer St. Johns were heading for the PTSB Intermediate Championship Final!! The home crowd roared their approval.
Congratulations to Laura on achieving the Player of the Match award, an excellent performance in a good team performance.
We now look forward to a championship final appearance on 3rd October at 4.15 in St. Margaret’s GAA versus Lucan Sarsfields who had a good win versus Raheny on the other side of the draw.
Calling on all BSJ supporters to come out and support this fantastic group of players!!
BSJ 2-12 St. Maur’s 1-08
On a perfect evening for football the BSJ Senior Ladies hosted a strong St. Maur’s side on the newly laid AWP surface at BCS in the semi final of the PTSB Ladies Intermediate Championship. The home support turned out in force to support the BSJ girls, creating a cracking atmosphere and they were treated to a high-quality game of football.
The game started evenly with defences on top. It was clear from early on, however, that the St. Maur’s girls had travelled with intent with great intensity to their play forcing turnovers and breaking up the BSJ attacks. It was taking the BSJ players some time to settle, and the visitors were keen to take advantage. With the scores level at 0-02 apiece a ball that looked likely to be cleared by the defence fell to the Maur’s attack and yielded an opportunistic goal. In a tight game it felt like a score that was worth more than the 3 points.
But the Ballinteer girls navigated their way through that period of pressure and began to exert some attacking pressure of their own and good team play yielded 3 excellent points from play. As the half time whistle blew the BSJ girls were well in the hunt trailing by just the minimum 0-06 to 1-04.
On the restart the Maur’s girls worked a good move in the first minute to register a good score and stretch their lead. But it felt like the Ballinteer girls now upped the pace a little and were gaining most of the possession and pinning the Maur’s girls back. A dropping ball in the Maur’s goalmouth, the most dangerous of deliveries in football, rebounded of the frame of the goal to be palmed back to the net. The vocal support roared their appreciation as BSJ hit the front 1-06 to 1-05.
Some good attacking play yielded 3 more scores while brilliant defending at the swimming pool end limited the Maur’s girls to a solitary response. Then a great team move saw the Maur’s defence in trouble and a desperate tackle yielded a penalty for the home team. With hearts in mouths and supporters peeping out through their fingers the penalty was finished emphatically to the net and suddenly there was a little daylight between the teams 2-09 to 1-07. Two more points followed good attacks, and it seemed that the BSJ girls had done enough to lead by 7.
But Maur’s are a formidable team and knew they needed to raise a green flag to claw their way back. They ran hard at the home goal moving left and right attempting to stretch the defence but, on each occasion, they found the superb Ballinteer defence turning them back.
After what seemed like an age the referee finally called time and Ballinteer St. Johns were heading for the PTSB Intermediate Championship Final!! The home crowd roared their approval.
Congratulations to Laura on achieving the Player of the Match award, an excellent performance in a good team performance.
We now look forward to a championship final appearance on 3rd October at 4.15 in St. Margaret’s GAA versus Lucan Sarsfields who had a good win versus Raheny on the other side of the draw.
Calling on all BSJ supporters to come out and support this fantastic group of players!!
