Thrilling Cup win for Rearcross U-13 Girls over Nenagh Celtic

Rearcross U13 girls played Nenagh Celtic U13 girls on Tuesday night last in Nenagh, coming away with a 5-3 victory and advancing to the semi-final of the North Tipperary U13 girls cup where they will face Knigh United. This was a very good team performance where we had our full panel of girls available. Rearcross controlled possession, neatly playing the ball out from the back through our back 4, playing the ball wide and finding green jerseys time after time. Rearcross took the lead after 15 minutes when a ball played from midfield freed Kate Kennedy who outran the Nenagh Celtic Defence and finished to the net. Rearcross were now on top and shortly afterwards got their second when Saoirse Guidera again ran onto a thru ball from midfield and finished expertly to the net. Any Nenagh attacks were capably dealt with by our back 4 of Lauren Ryan, Aoibheann Devitt, Maria Carr and Lauren Hartnett, with any balls that may have got past them, capably dealt with by our young goalkeeper Ewa Wieciensika. Our back four distributed the ball excellently all night with our midfielders of Zofia Kwiecinska, Zara Maher, Orlaigh Carr and Shauna Carr covering acres of ground in attack and defence all night. Just before half time Zofia Kwiecinska scored a stunning goal with a strike from just inside the box to the roof of the net, giving Rearcross a 3-nil cushion. Rearcross weren't having things all their own way and Nenagh themselves scored a good goal with a strike over the head of our keeper into the roof of the net, leaving the halftime score 3 -1 to Rearcross. Rearcross used our full panel throughout the game with Ruth Johnson, Anna Kennedy, Chloe Quinlan and Maria Collins fitting seamlessly into positions, all contributing to a good team performance on the night. The second half saw further goals from Rearcross with a great left footed volley by Shauna Carr and a right footed effort from Zara Maher, Nenagh did pull 2 goals back but Rearcross defended well to win out on a scoreline of 5-3.

Nenagh Celtic: O Akinneye, A Carr, O Keith-Crosse, S Kelly, S Doheny Brett, L McGrath, O O’Leary, R Rooney, Z Akinneye, D Solotchii, C Stanescu

Rearcross U-13 Girls: Ewa Kwiecinska, Lauren Ryan, Aoibheann Devitt, Maria Carr, Lauren Hartnett, Zofia Kwiecinska, Zara Maher, Orlaigh Carr, Shauna Carr, Abbie Carroll, Kate Kennedy, Saoirse Guidera, Anna Kennedy (Capt), Chloe Quinlan, Ruth Johnson, Maria Collins

Report by Myles Devitt