Ballinahown U-14 girls take major progress at national level
The Ballinahown U14 girls’ team are the first team in the club’s history to make it in to the last 16 of the SFAI National Trophy.
January 27, 2024 will remain a special day for the U14 girls and Ballinahown FC. The girls had already made it through to the last 32 and they went a step further with a 2-1 victory over Kells Celtic FC.
In 800 AD, 340 pieces of parchment were bound together to create one of the world’s most famous books, The Book of Kells. Roll on over 1200 years later and a band of sisters from a small village close to the banks of the Shannon took a trek to the north, with the intention to make their mark on the battlefield of Navan to add a page of history of their own.
On a cool crisp afternoon, with a stiff breeze blowing across the astro turf pitch, this was always likely to be a high tempo, physical game and that’s how it turned out.
The Ballinahown girls started off a bit sluggish in the opening phases of the game as they looked to find their feet. A very talented Kells Celtic team tried to burrow their way through a stubborn Ballinahown defence but to no avail.
But the jaws of all onlookers collectively hit the floor as the Kells centre-back burst tough the middle of the park to let loose a shot from 30 yards out. It was probably one of the best goals you are likely to see at this age level for a very long time.
Now the Ballinahown girls needed to have an answer and what an answer did they give. Time to shift up a gear was the call and with that the tide began to turn. The pressure was piled on from the girls right up until the dying moments in the first half where they won another corner.
Ella Kenny pinged in one of her signature corners that a pro would be challenged to deliver, right to the feet of in-form striker Amber Kelly, who found the net from eight yards. That left it 1-1 at the break.
The Ballinahown girls came back out to the field for the second half with their tails up ready to bring this game under control. The back four and goalkeeper were fantastic on the day but a special mention has to be given to Amy Farrell, who played one of her best ever games in the blue and white of Ballinahown.
Ballinahown’s midfield was awesome on the day, led by team captain Anna Ryan, who played fantastically well. With their passing and moving, they tried to muster some chances for the strike duo of Kelly and Isabelle Kearney.
Midway through the second half, Kearney burst through the Kells defence to let loose a shot that made its way through a maze of bodies to drop into the far corner, making it 2-1 to Ballinahown.
With the game almost over the Kells team had one more push and broke through the Ballinahown backline, where their striker let loose a lovely shot that was destined for the back of the net only for Ballinahown goalkeeper Emily Lynam Carroll to slam the door shut with a fantastic save. And so, the game ended in a 2-1 win for the team from the Westmeath/Offaly border. This group of Ballinahown players have shown that they don’t know the meaning of surrender or quitting.
Ballinahown now roll on to the uncharted waters of the last 16, with their next fixture due to be played on the weekend of February 17/18.
En route to the match, on board Rohan Transport’s brand new 33-seater bus, the girls stopped off at Michael Moore Car Sales to collect their newly sponsored jerseys and bags from the Skoda section of the dealership. The club extends a massive thank you to Michael Moore’s for their generous sponsorship.
Ballinahown squad: Rebecca Concannon, Ella Kenny, Saoirse Trainor, Ellianna McManus, Emily Lynam-Carroll, Anna Ryan (captain), Irene Egan, Isabelle Kearney, Lorna Colclough, Amber Kelly, Amy Farrell, Megan Killian, Emma Keane, Lillie Anders-O’Brien, Eibhleann Lynam.