This was Tir Conaill Harps ladies second outing in the green and gold jerseys as the team continue to make strides towards success. Tir Conaill had been in place to hold the ladies 7-a-side tournament but unfortunately with one of the teams having to pull out, it left only Tir Conaill Harps and Dlariada entering. So it was decided that a one of match featuring 11 players in each side would be played. A big thank you must go to Dalriada for travelling down early on Saturday morning to allow the game to go ahead.
With the experience Dalriada had throughout their side it was going to be a tough game for Tir Conaill Harps to overcome their opponents. With 7 members of the Harps panel playing for the first time this was always going to be about getting some valuable game time and experience under their belts.
Although Dalriada quickly took the lead and created a bit of space on the scoreboards between the two sides, the harps players never let their heads fall and kept at it. After an early goal on 4 minutes from Dalriada’s number nine Tir Conaill Harps managed to register their first point on the 11 minute mark with a lovely score from Siobhan Doogan. Jessica Doherty kicked over another lovely point just before half time to bring them within 4 points of Dalriada.
The experience showed however in the second half as Dalriada kicked on and started to create a bit of distance on the scoreboard. It was testament to the girls that they didn’t get despondent and continued to press and look for more scores. After the water break in the second half the girls came out and managed to get a few more scores on the scoreboard and you could see a marked improvement in performance.
Despite what may be considered a poor result the Harps put in a valiant effort with some lovely football being played at times and some beautiful scores being converted. This is only the beginning of the journey for the Tir Conaill Harps ladies team and with each passing game they pick up a bit more game experience. The future looks bright for this young and energetic team. Tir Conaill Harps will now be keenly anticipating the start of the Scotland LGFA Championship.