The Connacht hockey season started last weekend with Greenfields and NUIG opening their senior league campaign with a 1 - 1 draw in Dangan.
While both sides initially showed some early season rustiness, the game developed into a lively affair.
This first half was an evenly contested affair. NUIG, powered by a number of Greenfields girls who have elected to play with college this year, put up a stubborn defence to earlier assaults by Greenfields with some great defending by Aoife Smyth and captain Aoife Derva.
Greenfields had the better of the midfield exchanges from where Neasa McGettigan and Aine Collins gave a good supply to the Greenfields forwards.
However as the game neared half time NUIG, after some sustained pressure led by Orla Callanan, forced two short corners. Both of these were well defended, but a breaking ball from the second resulted in newly-acquired Cork player Louise Riordan putting the college side in front.
Greenfields took control in the second half, but missed several goal scoring chances. Siobhan Divilly hit the left hand post after 12 minutes and shots from Mary Healy, Aine Collins and Ciara Power were all narrowly wide. However, the sustained pressure paid off and in the 65th minute a quick free from Aine Collins found Mary Healy free in the box, and playing a superb one- two with Siobhan Divilly, she cracked the ball to the NUIG net.
Greenfield forced forced two short corners at the death, but neither team succeeded in securing a winner. Both teams meet again in next week’s second leg.
Greenfields: Sinead Collins, Aine Collins, Alison Ryan, Catherine Moore, Ciara Power, Clare Watson, Grace McCormick, Mary Healy, Nease McGettigan, Siobhan Divilly, Trish Garrett, Aisling Keaveney, Clodagh Kennedy, Ailbhe Finnerty.
NUIG: Meya Carpenter, Lesley O’Flynn, Aoife Derva, Aoife Smyth, Roisin McInerney, Niamh O’Halloran, Sheila Johnston, Louise Riordan, Orla Colleran, Ailish Walsh, Storm, Aoife Roisin Burke, Bronagh McMorrow, Geena Oakland, Roisin Corcoran.
Greenfields Seconds 0
Galway Hockey Club 3
Galway Hockey Club opened their senior league with a convincing win over Greenfields Seconds met at Dangan on Sunday. The stronger of the two teams, Galway led 2-0 at half time.
However Greenfields Thirds beat their Galway counterparts 5-0 with Liz Colleran scoring a hatrick and two further goals from Gillian Burke.
The NUIG Seconds team began their 2010/2011 season with a bang last after a convincing 5-0 victory over Renmore Seconds. The victory was owed in part to the hat trick secured by Aoife Roisin Burke, one of many newly acquired talents to NUIG’s ranks. However, these goals were the product of a well rounded team performance which also saw captain, Jen Oakland, and Storm Desmond finish impressively.
