County Senior Ladies Football Final ends prematurely due to unforeseen circumstances

Ballymacarbry will have to wait a little longer if they are to be crowned County senior Ladies Football Champions for the 34^th year in a row after this year’s decider was abandoned twenty-five minutes after a hold up after sixteen minutes of the second half.

The hold up happened as Comeragh Rangers full back Ciara Dunphy collapsed to the ground and needed immediate medical assistance by medical personal involved with both sides and by players on both sides who have a knowledge of providing first aid.

With the player coming up on half an hour on the ground, match referee in consultation with County Board Officials and both participating sides decided to abandon the game nearly twelve minutes after the game was scheduled to finish as an Ambulance which was called for to help provide further assistance had not arrived at the ground.

Having fought out the last two County Finals, this final was expected to be just as exciting, but Ballymacarbry throughout the time played proved to be the better of the two sides by some distance and should have been much further ahead that the 2-10 to 0-3 showing on the score board when the game was prematurely brought to an end.

The games opening score arrived on four minutes when Sinead Ryan who bought her impressive inter county form into this game kicked a point from a free.

Both sides were somewhat slow to settle and the next chance did not come for another five minutes when Aoife Murray crashed the ball off the crossbar with Tipperary Inter County Goalkeeper Lauren Fitzpatrick in the Ballymacarbry goal well beaten.

Ballymacarbry kicked their second point on eleven minutes from the boot of the pacey Aileen Wall and after this the reigning champions never looked back and never looked to be in any danger.

Michelle Ryan hit the upright on twelve minutes but it fell kindly to younger sister Sinead and she made no mistake in splitting the posts to give her side a three point advantage.

Another Sinead Ryan point, this time from a free on thirteen minutes extended Ballymacarbry sides lead to four but Comeragh Rangers got on the scoresheet just before the quarter of an hour mark when Ruth Kirwan kicked her sides first score from a free.

Sinead Ryan hit her fourth of the game very early in the second quarter and seconds later Ballymacarbry went further in front when her older sister Michelle linked well with Aileen Wall for the towering corner forward to blast past Marian Hogan in the Comeragh Rangers goal.

Seven points up and still with nearly all of the second quarter to play, Ballymacarbry refused to ease up on the pressure they were putting on the Comeragh Rangers goals. Linda Wall’s effort for goal on seventeen minutes came crashing off the cross bar and two minutes later Michelle Ryan was to suffer the same fete when she attempted to raise her second green flag of the day.

And three minutes from the break Michelle Ryan again showed that she was not afraid to try her luck for a goal despite her previous miss but this time her shot hit the side netting at the recycling Plant corner of the field.

On the half hour mark Linda Wall attempted her luck to get on the score sheet but her effort came crashing off the upright but the side in Blue and White would add to their tally before the break as in added time Michelle Ryan split the posts to give her side a 1-6 to 0-1 lead as the sides headed to the dressing rooms.

Ballymacarbry came out for the second half and took up where they left off at the end of the first half and attacked the Comeragh Rangers goal from the off.

Eibhlis Cooney kicked a point nineteen seconds after the restart and before the first minute had elapsed Sinead Ryan who was a number of players impressing here hit her fifth point of the game.

Eibhlin Power pulled a point back for Comeragh Rangers on thirty-three minutes but within a minute Sinead Ryan cancelled it out with another point for Ballymacarbry to give them a 1-9 to 0-2 lead.

Aoife Dunne and Linda Wall swapped scores in a two minute spell to keep Ballymacarbry ten in front with twenty one minutes still to play.

On the three quarter of an hour mark the hugely impressive Sinead Ryan twisted and turned with the ball in the danger zone for Ballymacarbry and when she had her chance she finished to the ten and it was looking that the game was well over as a contest.

But this was to be the last action of note as when Comeragh Rangers were making a sub shortly after this the roar went up from the River end of the ground to halt the game and medical personal from both sides of the field quickly raced towards the Comeragh Rangers goal.

The County Intermediate Final between Ballyduff and Clashmore is pencilled in to take place this weekend but whether this game will be rescheduled and fitted in on the day is not yet known as many of the players involved here will be involved in the All-Ireland Intermediate Final against Kildare in  three weeks time and it may not be gambled to allow the players involved play in fear of picking up an injury, but on the other hand, the gamble is been taken with four Ballyduff players involved with Waterford. The County Board will also be thinking of the Munster Club Championship as well went allowing next weekends game go ahead.

Ballymacarbry: Lauren Fitzpatrick; Becky Hogan, Michelle McGrath, Treasa McGrath; Mairead Wall, Karen McGrath, Laura Mulcahy; Linda Wall, Louise Ryan; Marian Ryan, Eibhlis Cooney, Aileen Wall; Danielle Hallahan, Sinead Ryan, Michelle Ryan. Sub: Lauren Guiry for Danielle Hallahan.

Scorers: Sinead Ryan 1-6 (0-2f), Michelle Ryan 1-1, Aileen Wall, Eibhlis Cooney, Linda Wall 0-1 each.

Comeragh Rangers: Marian Hogan; Nora Dunphy, Ciara Dunphy, Aisling Hahessy; Ann Dunphy, Stacey Whelan, Clodagh Keane; Emma Murray, Eibhlin Power; Kate Hahessy, Shauna Dunphy, Katie Murray; Aoife Dunne, Ruth Kirwan, Aoife Murray. Sub: Mairead Wall for Shauna Dunphy.

Scorers: Ruth Kirwan (f), Eibhlin Power, Aoife Dunne 0-1 each.

Referee: Timmy Organ.