U14 Girls versus Gort / Monivea
The Loughrea Yellow U14 girls served up a cracking contest on Saturday afternoon when they welcomed Gort/Monivea to Loughrea for a high-paced clash that had the crowd gripped from the first whistle.
The fixture was conceded by Gort / Monivea due to playing numbers, but the teams agreed to go ahead with a friendly fixture.
Both sides began with nine players apiece, and it was the visitors who struck first after ten minutes, powering over to take a 7–0 lead. Loughrea were forced onto the defensive early, but some brave tackling kept them in touch—none more so than Clíona, who produced a superb try-saving tackle on 12 minutes that lifted her teammates and the home support.
Moments later, Loughrea hit back. After a spell of pressure, Bianca broke through the line to touch down, with Aoibhinn coolly adding the extras to level it at 7–7 after 15 minutes.
Gort/Monivea regained the advantage three minutes later, surging over for a second try to move 12–7 ahead. But Loughrea refused to fold, and on 23 minutes the lively Evie darted through for a fine score. Aoibhinn’s reliable boot once again supplied the conversion, swinging the scoreboard in Loughrea’s favour at 12–14.
With both sides stepping up to 13-a-side for the second half, the game’s physical intensity rose. Gort/Monivea came out firing, running in two quick tries to reclaim the lead at 24–14. Loughrea rallied with wave after wave of attack and came agonisingly close-held up on the line as the tension mounted.
Despite their efforts, the final whistle confirmed a 24–14 victory for Gort/Monivea. Still, the Loughrea Yellow girls left the pitch with heads held high after a spirited, determined performance that showed their resilience and potential for the season ahead.
U18 Girls versus Claremorris
Loughrea U18 Girls opened their Division 1B league campaign in style with an impressive 38–22 victory away to Claremorris at the weekend.
The travelling side, featuring players from Loughrea, Bullaun, Portumna, Kilchreest, New Inn, Clarinbridge and Craughwell, hit the ground running when Amy Moran crossed the line after just five minutes to establish an early lead.
Both teams then settled into their rhythm, exchanging scores in a competitive first half. But it was Loughrea who showed greater sharpness and attacking flair, pulling clear thanks to tries from Addison D’Arcy (2), Saoirse Cahill, Gráinne Brady and Aoibheann Tully. Cahill also impressed from the tee, landing four conversions to stretch the advantage.
Claremorris battled bravely and were rewarded with tries of their own, but Loughrea’s defensive organisation and attacking intent ensured the result was never in doubt.
It was a strong all-round display from the visitors, with standout performances across the park. Katie Griffin, in particular, was immense and deservedly earned the Loughrea Player of the Match award for her tireless work rate and impact on the game.
The final whistle confirmed a 38–22 win and a dream start to the league campaign for Loughrea, who will look to build on this momentum when they host Corinthians in Ballygasty in two weeks’ time.
Ballygasty, Loughrea, Co. Galway H62AP03
