NUI Galway Ladies 1st X1 came away with a draw after the weekend’s encounter with a fighting Galway Hockey Club 2nd side.
The college team will be disappointed with this result, given that they enjoyed a 2-0 advantage over the Galway side until the final quarter of the game.
The match began with a succession of Galway attacks, putting the college side’s defence under pressure from the whistle. NUIG, however, quickly fought their way back into the match and dominated largely for the remainder of the half. This granted midfielder Síle Johnson an opportunity to open the scoring midway through the opening half to put the students in front.
The second half began as the first had with high intensity Galway attacks dictated by the ever present sweeper Emma Glanville.
However an exceptional passage of play by Jane O Higgins, who single-handedly stole the ball from the Galway defence, set up Síle Johnson to secure NUIG’s second of the day.
However the Galway side never bowed, and continued to press the college team, particularly entering into the last quarter with a succession of short corners. Emma Glanville hit home Galway’s first goal of the day with a rocket from the top of the circle.
The Galway ladies continued to break forward and their intensity proved highly lucrative when Rachel Bradley snuck in behind the NUIG defence to score the equaliser.
In the division 2 league, NUIG 2nd enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Galway 4th. Storm Desmond opened the scoring with a goal in the first half. Bronagh McMorrow added her name to the score sheet with a goal from a short corner not long after the restart, and Lisa Geraghty tied up the game for a convincing victory.
