HOCKEY LADIES: Navan teams show good form
Navan seconds will have a hectic schedule this weekend with two games in the Leinster Ladies Div 9 Hockey League on Saturday and Sunday.
They will host Wicklow on Saturday at Mercy, 12pm and Our Lady's 4th on Sunday at 2pm no doubt buoyed by last week's spirited performance and hard-earned victory when they edged out Pembroke following an intense encounter that included a late flourish by the visiting team.
Clodagh Lyons, Sinead Dixon and Mags Kilcooley set up many attacks and the first goal arrived in the 10th minute. Lyons and Kilcooley made the opening and O'Gorman finished on the reverse.
Pembroke tested Eirin Dames a few times in the first-half, but the ever-improving 'keeper stood strong.
Navan worked hard to keep the ball in the Pembroke half and after being shut down on the attack they played it smart into feet earning a short corner.
The ball was pushed out to Kilcooley who sent it back in towards the post where it was deflected back in towards the Pembroke goal, hitting a foot on the line awarding Navan a second goal.
The second-half saw the best of Minh Stewart and Caitlin Oates, but Pembroke exerted extreme pressure to get back into the game.
Kathlyn Newman was not to be messed with in defence and made an extraordinary goal line stop when Dames went down to make the original save before Sinead Dixon claimed her first goal of the season for a 3-0 lead.
That proved to be the winning goal as Pembroke rallied with a brace, but Navan survived the closing stages for a great win.
Navan - Eirin Dames; Fiona Madden, Aoife Heaney, Kathlyn Newman, Mags Kilcooley, Clodagh Lyons, Sinead Dixon, Minh Stewart, Caitlin Oates, Amy Reid, B O'Gorman.
ARE THESE REALLY NAVAN HOCKEY PLAYERS?
FIRST TEAM
Carla Mae Banks grabbed a sensational late equaliser for Navan as they earned a battling Leinster Ladies Hockey League Div 5 2-2 draw against hosts Our Lady's.
Depleted Navan had coach Ruth Fitzgerald in the starting 11, but despite the efforts of Karen Dunne and Rhona Murphy the Meath side trailed 0-2 at the interval.
The second-half saw a completely different attitude from Navan and the players gave every last ounce of energy to create momentum from the backs to generate an attack.
Fiona Madden as the play maker in centre mid passed off to Fitzgerald who found Bronagh Markey for a fine goal.
Helen Heaney, Grainne Hussey and Centinne Lavina played a crucial role in defence and worked tirelessly aided by Aisha Oladapo covering back throughout.
As Navan fought back, Our Lady's grew reckless in their attacks and Murphy picked up a bad injury to her hand by a slap of a stick.
Banks also picked up an injury in the mids, but neither player gave up and she bagged the leveller from a whopper hit into the D from Madden.
The forward line of Fitzgerald, Markey and Clodagh Lyons kept the pressure on the Our Ladys defence, unnerving them by winning numerous short corners and closing in to prevent them from switching the play.
Navan - Karen Dunne, Rhona Murphy, Grainne Hussey, Helen Heaney, Centinne Lavina, Aisha Oladapo, Carla Mae Banks, Fiona Madden, Ruth Fitzgerald, Clodagh Lyons, Bronagh Markey