Another hectic and entertaining weekend in the Women’s AIL comes to a close with good wins for Wicklow and Old Belvedere
Wicklow’s spirited recovery from some heavy early losses in Energia Women’s All-Ireland League continued with a 15-10 win over fellow promoted club Ballincollig
Jason Moreton’s young side outscored ‘Collig by three tries to two at Ashtown Lane, with out-half Beth Roberts and co-captain Amy O’Neill both impressing.
After Covid-19 robbed them of two recent run-outs, Railway Union was full of running in their 62-3 demolition of Suttonians at Park Avenue.
Their 10-try tally included braces from Stephanie Carroll, Nikki Caughey, and Maggie MacKinnon, with Ireland-capped center Caughey also kicking 12 points. She is currently top of the scoring charts with 56 points.
Former Ireland Under-18 Sevens international Ava Ryder, who made her Energia Women’s AIL debut off the Railway bench, said:
“It’s brilliant to play against such a good team. Suttonians put it up to us, especially in the first half. It was a slow start but we came together in the end and got a good result.”
There is only a single point between the top four teams in the table, Old Belvedere leading the way thanks to a 28-21 bonus point success at home to Cooke.
The Belfast outfit was much-improved from last week, stringing together second-half tries from Lucy Thompson, Dolores Hughes, and captain Aishling O’Connell for a hard-earned losing bonus point.
Belvedere was seven points clear at the break, with prop Alice O’Dowd making the breakthrough from Jemma Farrell’s tap penalty. They added a penalty try and further efforts from pacy backs Vanessa Hullon and Alannah O’Carroll.
Munster’s Maggie Boylan bagged her eighth try of the season as Blackrock College got the better of a dogged Galwegians side, winning 19-5 at Crowley Park. Running back a kick, she flew down the left touchline, beating three players to score behind the posts.
Leinster captain Christy Haney used two big hand-offs to burst through for ‘Rock’s third try. Natasja Behan had an earlier breakaway score, which ‘Wegians had canceled out when working the ball wide for winger Saskia Morrissey to finish powerfully in the corner.
ENERGIA WOMEN’S ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE RESULTS:
GALWEGIANS 5 BLACKROCK COLLEGE 19, Crowley Park
Scorers: Galwegians: Try: Saskia Morrissey
Blackrock College: Tries: Natasja Behan, Maggie Boylan, Christy Haney; Cons: Lisa Mullen 2
GALWEGIANS: Mairead Coyne; Saskia Morrissey, Megan Walsh, Ursula Sammon, Laoise McGonagle; Emma Keane, Mary Healy (capt); Elizabeth McNicholas, Tracy Lawlor, Ellen Connolly, Sabina Egan, Niamh O’Grady, Fiona Scally, Lisa-Marie Murphy, Kate Feehan.
Replacements: Ruby Lynch, Jessica Loftus, Kiara Irwin, Dearbhla Canty, Faith Oviawe, Darwyn O’Halloran, Rhiann Heery.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Maggie Boylan; Natasja Behan, Michelle Claffey (capt), Jackie Shiels, Caoimhe O’Callaghan; Lisa Mullen, Laura Delaney; Aoife Moore, Emma Hooban, Christy Haney, Mairead Holohan, Eimear Corri, Caoimhe Molloy, Niamh Griffin, Casey O’Brien.
Replacements: Niamh Tester, Anna Potterton, Hannah Hodges, Valerie Power, Kate Cullen, Orla Molloy.
MALONE 0 UL BOHEMIANS 28, Gibson Park
* Match canceled – the IRFU National Competitions Committee has determined five league points and a scoreline of 28-0 will be awarded to UL Bohemians in the Energia Women’s AIL.
OLD BELVEDERE 28 COOKE 21, Ollie Campbell Park
Scorers: Old Belvedere: Tries: Alice O’Dowd, Penalty try, Vanessa Hullon, Alannah O’Carroll; Cons: Jemma Farrell 3, Pen try con
Cooke: Tries: Lucy Thompson, Dolores Hughes, Aishling O’Connell; Cons: Amanda Morton 3
OLD BELVEDERE: Laura Carty; Kate Balance, Vanessa Hullon, Katelyn Faust, Alannah O’Carroll; Aine Donnelly, Jemma Farrell; Alice O’Dowd, Rachel Murphy, Vic Dabanovich O’Mahony, Jan Carroll, Elaine Anthony, Ivanna Dempsey, Lesley Ring, Clodagh Dunne.
Replacements: Melissa Hayden, Dawn Keegan, Ciara O’Dwyer, Niamh O’Dowd, Jennie Finlay, Ava Jenkins.
COOKE: Dolores Hughes; Claire Johnston, Lucy Thompson, Coral Lapsley, Tamzin Boyce; Amanda Morton, Teah Maguire; Ilse van Staden, Megan Simpson, Aishling O’Connell (capt), Caolinn McCormack, Sorcha Mac Laimhin, Beth Cregan, Naomi McCord, Helen McGhee.
Replacements: Cara McKevitt, Fiona McCaughan, Georgia Boyce, Eimear McQuillan.
RAILWAY UNION 62 SUTTONIANS 3, Park Avenue
Scorers: Railway Union: Tries: Stephanie Carroll 2, Nikki Caughey 2, Maggie MacKinnon 2, Niamh Byrne, Aimee Clarke, Deirdre Roberts, Molly Scuffil McCabe; Cons: Nikki Caughey 6
Suttonians: Pen: Jessica Kelleher
RAILWAY UNION: Aoife O’Shaughnessy; Stephanie Carroll, Maggie MacKinnon, Nikki Caughey, Niamh Byrne (capt); Claire Keohane, Molly Scuffil McCabe; Amanda McQuade, Chloe Blackmore, Megan Collis, Keelin Brady, Siobhan McCarthy, Emma Murphy, Molly Boyne, Deirdre Roberts.
Replacements: Aimee Clarke, Claire Byrne, Kate McCarthy, Christine Coffey, Erin Coll, Alex McGuinness, Ava Ryder.
SUTTONIANS: Sophie Gibney; Jools Aungier, Jessica Kelleher, Catherine Martin, Lena Kibler; Nicole Carroll, Lauren Farrell McCabe (capt); Katie Grant Duggan, Aoife Brennan, Julia Bauer, Brenda Barr, Aislinn Layde, Louise Catinot, Carrie O’Keeffe, Aifric O’Brien.
Replacements: Ciara O’Brien, Megan Cullen, Emily McKeown, Molly Fitzgerald.
WICKLOW 15 BALLINCOLLIG 10, Ashtown Lane
Scorers: Wicklow: Tries: Aoibhin Stone, Sarah Gleeson, Meagan Parkinson
Ballincollig: Tries: Denise Redmond, Katelyn Fleming
WICKLOW: Orla O’Neill; Aoibhin Stone, Meagan Parkinson, Sarah Gleeson, Tammy Breen; Beth Roberts, Erin McConnell (co-capt); Lauren Barry, Amy O’Neill (co-capt), Kathy Byrne, Ciara Brennan, Caitlin Griffey, Jessica Schmidt, Emma Curran, Niamh Ni Dhroma.
Replacements: Robyn Mullen, Noelle Ward, Laura Newsome, Nicola Schmidt, Emily Ryan, Karen Douglas, Alexandra Dalton.
BALLINCOLLIG: Lauren Fahey; Michelle Stafford, Emma Connolly, Mona Fehily, Ellen O’Keeffe; Kelly Griffin, Gemma Lane; Roisin Ormond, Clodagh Walsh, Clare Coombes, Meaghan Kenny, Eimear Perryman, Kira Fitzgerald, Katelyn Fleming, Denise Redmond.
Replacements: Alix Cunneen, Naoise Murray, Laurileigh Baker, Niamh O’Regan, Gillian Coombes, Christine Arthurs, Sarah O’Donovan.
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