Banbridge Ladies 0-3 Derry City Ladies
Derry City ladies travelled to Banbridge and produced one of their best performances of the season with what was probably the youngest ever team to wear the candystripes
Stand in captain and player of the match Bronagh McKinley producing a performance of the highest quality that surely must start getting her in the thoughts of the International manager. Derry started brightly and with their first attack could have produced a goal with Demi Leigh Fitzpatrick cutting through the banbridge defence and producing a quality pass that the derry forwards were very unlucky not to convert into a goal
The game them had a few chances for either sides but then Derry produced a move of sheer quality with slick passing opening up the banbridge defence and a slide rule pass to fitzpatrick which she cooly converted.
Banbridge then started to come forward with Alex Hurst doing all she could to try and open up the derry defence but with harte and mccauley at the back she struggled to find a way past. With Banbridge pussing forward the Derry midfield and forwards were able to start taken advantage of the space at the back and with mckinley producing passes that would not have been out place in the barcelona team the derry forwards were soon able to add another goal With mcbride producing a slide rule pass for the razor sharp Connolly to tap home to make it two nil
Derry were now in total control and with ferguson and mckinley patrolling midfeild and the added width supplied by quigley and fitzpatrick it wouldnt be long before Derry added a third and once again came from another quality pass from McBride and a determined run from mckinley to get on the end of the pass and slot home a goal her performance deserved
The half ended 3-0 and the Derry management warned the ladies against getting complacent but they didnt need to fear as the girls set about the second half making sure they did not concede whilst still creating chances themselves . With lavery now starting to show the quality that recently got her an school girls international cap and mullan at left back complementing fitzpatrick well there would just be no way through for the banbridge ladies. Then with almot the last kick of the game Devine who had spent most of the game in between the sticks almost added a fourth with a great pass from ferguson which devine was unlucky not to see the nets bulge
The ladies next match is away to Knockbreda in the league
Follow the ladies on
http://niwfa.org/division_1
Report – Adrian Quigley
