The Parlour Moms continued their ascent from the whipping girls of last season to title contenders when they defeated Lansdowne B, 2-0, in the league semifinal, thus qualifying for their first final.
A hard, physical game was brought into extra time when both teams failed to find the net in regulation. It was Dinsiri Fikuri who finally broke through the Lansdowne defense, which was well marshalled by Beth Roper throughout, when she made no mistake with a blast from the right. The Lansdowne gambled by throwing everybody forward in search of the equalizer but paid the price when caught on the break in the dying minutes by Regina Neijman, who sealed the win. The Parlour Moms can be especially grateful to goalie Jan Holland, who pulled off a number of vital saves, while Margaret Rosendahl and Maggie Bradley at the back smothered the Lansdowne attack.
In the league final, the Parlour Moms will face Fiona’s, who scraped past Lansdowne A by the minimum in an entertaining 1-0 win.With the Lansdowne buoyed by the return of some faces seen more frequently on the Gaelic fields, these well-matched sides got down to business.
With no clear-cut chances for either team in the first half, the Lansdowne came agonizingly close to taking the lead after the break when good work on the wing from Fiona Ward forced Rose Dunican to pull off a great diving save when a goal seemed inevitable. At the other end, Collette O’Sullivan and Anne Marie McGrail were staving off the challenges of the Ryan sisters. With extra time beckoning, Erin Tracy gathered the ball and from 30 yards out lofted in a shot which finished in the roof of the net and was sufficient to give Fiona’s the victory.
The Shield final will match up the Starting Gate Harps and the Southbend after both successfully negotiated their respective semifinals. The Southbend had a 4-2 win over An Beal Bocht. Two Southbend goals from Petrona Kemp were canceled by goals from Jeanie Rynne and Pauline Boylan forcing extra time where Kemp restruck onthe double to put the result beyond doubt.
The Starting Gate Harps were in no mood to show neighborhood friendliness in defeating Gilligan’s 7-1 with goals coming from Ann Carr (2), Sandra Swinbourne (2), Teresa Bronk, Karen Shalvey and Catherine Canning.
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Next up are the Cup semifinals, which will take place on July 25 at 10 a.m. with he Southbend facing the Parlour Moms, while at 11:30 the Starting Gate Harps play the Lansdowne B.