The big scorelines keep coming in the Women’s All Ireland League as the teams look to sort themselves out post lockdown. In the first game of Round 4 Old Belvedere put 73 past a disjointed Ballincollig, Belvo youngster Clare Gorman stealing the show with five of Belvo’s 13 tries.
I was asked after the game what I though of Ballincollig’s performance and they weren’t as far off the pace as the scoreline suggests. I said at the time they didn’t reload very well but I suppose resetting after each phase would have been a better description as they tended to become disorganised after a few phases and Belvo were ready and waiting to take advantage with Jemma Farrell pulling the strings.
Young Gorman, in only her 5th game for Belvo, opened the scoring after a few minutes chasing down a kick through by Jackson after a scrappy clearance from Ballincollig and six minutes later she crossed for her second after a turnover. Fellow winger Laura Carty got in on the act at the start of the second quarter and Victoria O’Mahony, Elise O’Byrne-White and Grace Miller all crossed to give Belvo a 32 – 0 lead at the end of the first half, Jackson converting the last score.
It was the Gorman and Carty show in the second half as Gorman ran in three more and Carty two, all of the scores coming from deep as Farrell, Kathryn Dane and Sene Naoupu exploited Ballincollig’s disorganisation. The two wingers filled their boots, scoring 8 tries between them over the game though Aine Donnelly and Oonagh Hynes also got in on the act in the second half with a try each.
It was a tough day at the office for Ballincollig, who had their moments, and I’m sure under the stewardship of Fiona Hayes, that they’ll bounce back.
Old Belvedere: Grace Miller, Laura Carty, Elise O Byrne-White, Ailbhe Dowling, Clare Gorman, Aine Donnelly, Jemma Farrell, Alice O’Dowd, Victoria O’Mahony, Melissa Hayden, Elaine Anthony, O’Dwyer, Oonagh Hynes, Lesley Ring, Clodagh Dunne. Replacements: Ivanna Dempsey, Niamh O’Dowd, Jessica Spain, Amber Redmond, Sene Naoupu, Dawn Keegan, Kathryn Dane
Ballincollig: Dee Kelly, Michelle Stafford, Lauren Fahey, Meaghan Kenny, Ellen O’Keeffe, Kelly Griffin, Gemma Lane, Roisin Ormond, Annie Laffan, Gerda Coyne, Denise Redmond, Gillian Coombes, Eimear Perryman, Katelyn Fleming, Eimear Minihane. Replacements: Sarah O’Donovan, Olivia Hay Mulvihill, Laurileigh Baker, Kira Fitzgerald, Niamh O’Regan, Aoife Flynn, Alix Cunneen
