On Sunday City of Derry Ladies secured a promotion final place with a 24-0 win over Youghal.
Derry started well and had Youghal under pressure from the start. Good driving runs by the pack provided clean ball for the backs.
After 7 minutes Derry won the ball from a ruck 5 metres from the Youghal line. The ball was moved swiftly across the backline and centre Stacey Lee Jackson finished the move scoring beside the posts. Rachael Lennox converted to give Derry a 7-0 lead.
Derry continued to pressurise the Youghal line and should have increased their lead after 10 minutes when, following a pick up & drive by no 8 Diane Nixon, the ball was shipped to the backs but dropped with the line at their mercy.
After 25 minutes Derry’s hooker, Grainne Crabtree had to leave the field with a blood injury and was replaced by Kerri McLaughlin, but happily she was able to return to the fray after treatment.
On one of their few visits to the Derry half Youghal were awarded a penalty on 28 minutes but the resulting attempt on goal sailed wide of the uprights.
The Derry girls were immediately on the attack from the restart and slick handling by the backs saw the ball moved to wing Bridin McDermott who ran in from 40 metres to touch down. Rocky missed the conversion but Derry’s lead was now 12-0.
Just before the half time break Derry’s influential wing forward Louise Clarke was given 10 minutes in the sin bin and was sent to the ‘naughty chair’ behind the posts.
After the half time team talk the Derry girls were immediately on the attack.
Following a charged down kick, winger Rachael Fleming showed her pace to take play deep into the Youghal half before being bundled into touch.
Youghal won the line out and tried to run the ball out of defence but were stopped in midfield where Louise Clarke ripped the ball free and ran in to score beside the posts. Rachel Lennox added the points. 19-0.
The last score of the game came following good driving runs by Kerri Shaw, Di Nixon & Grainne Crabtree. The ball was won cleanly and Noreen Nethercott dummied the defence before scampering over beside the posts. With the conversion missed Derry emerged victorious by 24-0.
This was another good performance by the Judges Road girls although they did squander a couple of try scoring chances.
The tackling in the backs especially by Kelly Holmes & Stacey Lee Jackson was tremendous.
In the forwards good driving play by Kerri Shaw, Grainne Crabtree, Elena Martin Pinero and Diane Nixon set the platform for the backs to work from.
The win sees Derry in Athlone next Saturday in the final for promotion to AIL Division 1 where their opponents will be Old Belvedere.
