Congratulations to Nicole McNamara who made her debut for the Republic of Ireland on Saturday against Northern Ireland and received the Player of the Match award for her performance at centre half. Nicole has played all her underage football for Ballingarry and needless to say the club is immensely proud to see another player from the club join the increasing number of players to don the Green of Ireland.
It’s off to Spain now at Easter for Nicole as Ireland compete in the Bob Doherty cup against England, Scotland, Wales and Gibraltar.
Saturday March 2nd
WFAI U16 Girls National Cup Semi Final – Hanover Harps (Carlow) 7 Ballingarry 0
Ballingarry can hold their heads high in defeat in full knowledge that the fact that this game went ahead at all made a mockery of the National cup competition and brings into question the commitment of the FAI towards promoting women’s football at all.
The notion that Ballingarry were forced to play a game of such importance without one of the best eleven players in Ireland, who was on International duty and winning the Player of the Match award at the very same time as this National cup semi-final was being staged leaves one speechless. Would it have happened in any other code? Doubtful.
Ballingarry made every effort possible to have this game rescheduled but every road traveled proved a cul-de-sac.
Ballingarry were brave throughout and as always did the club proud but without the services of Nicole McNamara, Anna Mullane and Siofra Walsh all big players for the club it enabled make a good team, with 12 Gaynor cup players, look like world beaters.
What was a truly memorable cup adventure ended on a sour note.
U/14 Boys Div 2 – Ballingarry 5 (Mullane 3, Lenihan, Clancy) Athea Utd 0
Youth Division 1 – Ballingarry 0 Broadford United 1
A goal in the fourth minute of added time saw Ballingarry hopes of winning the league disappear as Broadford United claimed the title.
Sunday March 3rd
U/12 Girls Div 1 – Abbeyfeale Utd 0 Ballingarry A 2 (O’Dwyer, Russell)
Congratulations to Colaiste na Trocaire U15 1st and 2nd year team on their Munster Final success last Friday in Newport where they beat Presentation Secondary School Thurles.
Trailing 1-0 with ten minutes remaining they first drew level through an Abbie Clancy header before Nicole McNamara with a twenty yard free kick won the game in the final minute. The entire eleven players used during the game are all Ballingarry AFC players.
