Roche Emmets 1-15 St. Mochta’s 2-9

The senior ladies got back to winning ways in Division One on Sunday morning as a first half scoring burst swung the affair firmly in their favour.

Having conceded the opening two points, Roche replied with 1-10 in-a-row as they seemingly put St. Mochtas’ challenge to bed.

However, Emmets would score just five points after the interval and had some very nervy moments nearing the finish as the Louth Villagers cracked the crossbar before hauling the deficit back to two.

Roche’s passing, movement and scoring during their power-play spell was in contrast to last week’s display against Geraldines and looked very easy on the eye – the Halligan sisters, Aoife and Seona, cutting through the visitors at their ease, with Tracey Rogers and Jennie McCourt producing from distance.

The crucial goal arrived with Roche 0-10 to 0-2 ahead as ace-poacher Caroline O’Neill got a grasp of the ball and with the net at her mercy, she took no prisoners, driving beneath Niamh Kirk in the Mochta’s nets.

Roche’s half-back line were providing a platform at this juncture and an annihilation looked to be on the cards, but, to their credit, the away side fought back and added two points before the interval – 1-10 to 0-4 – and a rocket of a goal shortly after the restart to get their comeback underway.

An Aoife O’Connell point and a free converted by Rogers was all the girls in blue could muster in the third quarter, as the gap was cut to five, and when marauding full-back Dearbhla O’Connor’s dropping shot found its way into the net, Mochta’s were back to within one score – three points in it.

And disaster looked set to unfold as a spell of penalty area pinball developed in the Villagers’ next attack, only for Emmets to clear, shortly before a stinging shot rebounded off the ’bar.

All the while Roche were spurning opportunities to put the game to bed, opting to go for majors when minors were required to see the fixture out.

A late point by Lauren Meehan ensured Roche held on, however, bagging the spoils which roots them firmly in the top four.

Roche: Arlene Marmion; Anna Murphy, Aisling Sloane, Ailbhe Ford; Lauren Meehan (0-1), Niamh Callan, Caoimhe Treanor; Jennie McCourt (0-2), Claire McDonnell; Aoife O’Connell (0-2), Tracey Rogers (0-3), Sarah McArdle; Aoife Halligan (0-2), Caroline O’Neill (1-1), Seona Halligan (0-4)

Subs: Dearbhla Begley for McArdle, Ellie Grant for O’Connell, Claire McCourt for Grant

Referee: Noel Hand