Fr Mathews and Liffey Celtics book NICC Women's National Cup final clash
Fr. Mathews' Amanda O'Regan uses her strength to brush off Robyn Malone of Killester. Pic: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Fr.Mathews will face FloMAX Liffey Celtics in the NICC Women’s National Cup Final following a pulsating 75-51 win over Killester at Parochial Hall on Saturday afternoon.
A game which had five lead changes in the opening half, it was the Cork side who took control after the interval through Niamh Dwyer and Amy Corkery. The duo sparkled in combining for 38 points. Killester proved stubborn opponents in a contest that included some great ball movement, as well as tough defence which gripped a packed crowd in North Cork City.
The opening half flew by with both teams pushing the ball at every opportunity. Dwyer checked into the game with 4:45 left on the clock in the first and wasted no time in making her presence felt.
Three shots from deep the highlight of her 13 first-half points, but it would take another shot from beyond the arc by Corkery to ensure a 35-33 advantage at the interval.
Aisling Sullivan’s shooting from range and Killester’s ability to get to the free-throw line at will kept them in the contest. They shot from the stripe 26 times in the opening 20 minutes, scoring 12.
A Fr.Mathews blitz at the onset of the third quarter put the game beyond doubt. The 23-5 run included buckets from no fewer than six players, Dwyer, Niamh and Hannah Branham, Heather Lynch, Amanda O’Regan and when Corkery brought the onslaught to a close with her second three-point shot with 3.32 on the clock, suddenly the margin was 58-38 in favour of the girls in red.
Ciara Curran, Sinead Boyle and Johanna Barbier added their names to the boxscore for Killester in the third, but the mountain was too tall to overcome by this stage.
It marks the second year in succession that Fr. Mathews have dumped out Killester from the NICC Women’s National Cup. A year ago they were beaten by eventual winners Ongar Chasers in the final four, but 12 months on they’ve earned the opportunity to put those difficult memories behind them on the national stage.
Meanwhile, Liffey Celtics remain on track for a third NICC Women’s National Cup title in four years, following a 72-53 semi-final win over St. Mary’s Castleisland on Saturday.
Last season’s finalists held an 18-15 lead at the end of the opening quarter at Neptune Stadium, helped by a trio of three’s from Ciara Mulleady.
Liffey Celtics were quick out of the blocks in the second quarter, Karen Mealy’s three put them ahead by ten, 29-19. St. Mary’s Castleisland tried to keep the scoreboard ticking over, Seodhna O’Donoghue’s layup saw them trail 34-23.
Seconds later Ireland international Ciara Bracken, who is returning from long-term injury, landed a three to leave the Kildare side 37-23 up with two minutes to go in the quarter and they’d lead 39-25 by half-time.
Liffey Celtics continued where they left off in the third quarter and were up by 20, 49-29, following Karen Mealy’s basket three and a half minutes in. A six point run from Roisin Casey in the closing stages of the quarter reduced the deficit to 51-35.
Liffey Celtics lead was back up to 20, 55-35, by the end of the quarter following a pair of free throws by Bracken and an end of quarter buzzer-beating floater from Rebecca Keating.
St. Mary’s Castleisland kept plugging away, back-to-back jump shots by Fiona Nelligan McGuire saw them trail 65-46 just after the midpoint of the fourth quarter.
Liffey Celtics weren’t be denied, Rebecca Keating’s three in the final minute – to bring her to a game high 17 points - helping them to a 72-53 victory.
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