Ladies 2nds too strong for Bray

Another five goal brace in 35 mins to follow on from the previous weeks result saw the II’s comfortably take the win in Bray last Saturday. The game started at a high tempo and from the outset Viv Fenton and Shona Doyle looked sprightly on the left hand side, causing problems for the Bray defence.

It wasn’t long before Shona converted this pressure into a result, picking the ball up beautifully in the circle and crashing it home for the opening goal of the game. Lizzie de Araugo was instrumental in that goal, as she was with the second soon afterwards. Viv, after dancing past a number of reaching sticks, picked out Lizzie with a precision pass at the top of the D for a 1 v 1 with the goalie. However, instead of going for glory Lizzie held the ball and selflessly played a weighted pass into Sarah McCready at the far post to bang home for her first Division 2 goal of the season.

Early aussie magic from Lizzie helped send the girls on their way

Shona was unlucky not to make it 3-0 shortly after with a cracking shot on the run from the far left, but the keeper made a superb diving save to tip it past the post at the last second.

At half time Ronan gave a rousing inspirational team talk and sent the girls back out fired up and raring to go.

Almost immediately, some excellent link-up play down the right starting with Tara in RB and working all the way to the far circle with some quality hockey between Ciara Howard, Laura Hanlon and Lizzie, found Holly in the circle. Holly took the shot, but again the keeper saved, only for Shona to pounce and finish off the movement to go to 3nil. Bray responded straight away, and forced a short corner which they finished off well with a powerful strike that beat the defender. From that point though, it was all Pembroke.

Kats Duff, who had dominated midfield, scored goal number 4. A powerful charge from the 25yard line left a trail of bodies in her wake and she crashed home a smash hit from just inside the D. An astute call from the Coach saw that the right switch corner options were on, and the II’s duly scored twice from there.

Eimear Mc finished off a close range shot for number 5, and Holly Jones got the assist for goal number 6 in a short corner movement that saw Susan Ryan make the score sheet. The goal scoring supremo, who has now scored in 6 out of 8 games played, closed out proceedings almost on the final whistle to take the final score to 7-1. Holly again found herself involved in the build-up play, driving the baseline and being denied twice by the keeper before Susan dived in to finish for a 5yard tip in.

It was a very competent performance from the II’s and leaves them 2 points clear with a game in hand going into the last league game of the season on Saturday.