Irish Intermediate Cup Last 16
- Jul 12,2012
2nd Round Irish Intermediate Cup.
Colga Ladies produced a fine performance on an overcast day in dunmore to advance to the quarter finals of the Irish Intermediate Cup. The game started brightly with both sides showing good quality on the ball in the early stages. Colga were to grab an early goal through Carol Mannion after some sterling work in the middle of the park by Rebecca McPhilbin. The conditions were making it tricky for both sides but as the half progressed Colga began to exert some dominance in the centre of the park through Keara Cormican and McPhilbin. The second goal soon arrived through a great flowing move down the right by Leah Phillips who crossed the ball into the danger area to McPhilbin who arrived with a perfectly timed run to score past the Dunmore keeper. Colga had one nervous moment when Dunmore broke away down the left flank through the very dangerous Lucy Hannon only for the Colga goalkeeper Marian Murray to mistime a challenge on the edge of the box and give away a promising free kick for Dunmore. Despite some protestations from the Dunmore bench the referee took a sensible course of action issuing yellow to the keeper. The free was wasted high and wide. Two nil at half time.
The second half was where Colga exerted their superiority especially through the centre and pace out wide through Leah Phillips and Lisa Casserly. They took control of the game, when the games best moved provided an exquisite team goal. Rachel bannon playing very solidly on the left side of defense make a great interception and broke quickly playing a slide rule pass down the left to the irrepressible Mannion who beat the defender with ease before passing across the six yard box for Carol Mannion to slide home. Dunmore heads dropped and Colga were enjoying the majority of possession and any threat was ably dealt with at the back by a commanding back four of Meadhbh Maloney, Jenny Linnane, Paula Kelly and Rachel Bannon. Dunmore did manage to pull one back through hannon but it was scant reward as Colga seemed to up the tempo again and a fourth goal duly arrived after great work once again from Mannion.
Overall Colga were very good in all depts, with the back four solid, but it was the centre midfield partnership of McPhilbin and Cormican who stood out, with McPhilbin getting the Player of the Match Award with another barn stopping performance of high energy, tempo, skill .Others who performed well were Murray, Bannon, Mannion and Linanne. A great team performance and Colga march on to the last eight.
