Girls make their Valeview Debut

Girls Make Their Valeview Debut

On 6th March the Valeview Shankill schoolboys/girls soccer club will make history by fielding it’s first all girls team in a friendly match with Gorey Celtic. While girls already line out for the mixed teams, some girls would rather play against their own gender. The club has responded by organising girls only training sessions which take place in Shanganagh Park every Saturday morning at 11.00. But now it’s time to move off the training pitch and the girls are looking forward to the challenge.

The game marks the commitment of Valeview to encourage more girls into the club and it’s hoped to field an all girls’ league team next season. Irish international Stephanie Roche who began her career by playing with Valeview has already expressed an interest in helping with coaching duties. She joins fellow international Aine O’Gorman who already coaches some of the mixed teams. Valeview enthusiastically welcomes new girls so to sample a training session ring Jimmy Duggan on 086 2468958.

Match Report

Cabbo Caught Cold As Valeview Shankill U10 Girls Make Five Goal Debut

It was a historic day! It was the first time Valeview Shankill had fielded a girls team and it was the first time most of their players had taken part in  a competative football match. Yet you would never have guessed from their superb performance. Shankill faced a mixed team of Cabinteely A and B players who play league matches every Sunday. But it was the Valeview girls who grabbed the game by the throat and didn’t let up until the final whistle.

It was a chilly Saturday morning and the girls were doing their best to stay warm as the late finish of the previous game delayed kick off. But it was Cabinteely who were caught cold as Shankill settled early. Sinead Moore, rampaging through the middle, as she would all game, scored the first goal with a great shot from distance that beat the Cabbo keeper all ends up. Whatever nerves the Shankill ladies may have had were now settled and they played some lovely football that Cabinteely had no real answer to.

Ciara Fogarty demonstrated what a great midfield prospect she is as she harried the Cabbo players and prodded the Shankill offence ever forward. Sarah Endersen also did some stirling work snuffing out the Cabbo threat and forcing them on the defensive. Sophia Kilroy came on to add some attack minded intent to the Shankill effort. Goals from Chelsea Rigley and Chloe Rigley, with a great strike into the left hand corner of the Cabbo net, saw Shankill get just reward for their efforts and go into the break 3 – 0 up.

After half time it was business as usual with Shankill pressing forward. And if the Shankill attack was firing well, its defence was giving them a magnificent platform for their efforts. Isobel Jackson in goal was never troubled and dealt confidently with anything that Cabbo could fling at her. Lydia Cook was commanding in defence, excellent in dead ball situations, and almost scored herself with a couple of long range efforts. Aoibh Hall worked tirelessly and effectively showing a defensive awareness that more seasoned players would be proud of. Michaela O’Neill competed for everything and never gave the Cabbo attack an inch.

Valeview finished as trongly as they had begun with Rebecca Redmond adding a valuable new impetus to the Valeview midfield where Bea Jackson also demonstrated great effort and commitment. Chelsea and Chloe Rigley continued to give a master class in incisive, attacking football. A strike from Chloe, and a shot from Chelsea that would have graced the Premiership, completed the scoring.

Valeview were grateful to the Cabinteely club which took on this game at short notice. And this Cabinteely team were no push over. They defended well, pressed forward at every opportunity and had some reallly talented players. But on the day they met a Shankill outfit in truly devestating form and with slightly larger goals the Shankill girls tally might well have run to double figures.

(Jimmy Duggan)