Kilkerley Emmets 4-15 Roche Emmets 2-12

The U16 girls gave a fabulous account of themselves in Wednesday night’s championship visit to Kilkerley Emmets, going down despite outscoring their hosts during the second period.

Given half of the team were 14 or younger, the effort was magnificent and with players to come back into the fold, it’s only a matter of time before this committed bunch get back in the winners’ enclosure.

A difficult first half, where Kilkerley had the benefit of the breeze, gave the Roche girls a mountain to climb – they trailed 2-8 to 0-3 at half-time – despite points from the boots of Erin Gorham and Lauren Briscoe.

But once they regrouped, the girls in blue came out fighting with Nicole Murray and Naoise McGeeney outstanding, alongside arguably the best player on show, Lauren Briscoe.

Roche started finding the latter with a ready supply and after further points by Gorham and an excellent McGeeney finish after flowing play, Briscoe lifted the net with an absolutely sublime finish from a tight angle, almost ripping the top corner out of its socket.

And as the game wore on, the classy left-footer knocked points over from every angle before shooting another three-pointer – a trickler squirming across the line.

Overall, a great lesson for girls who simply never gave in.

Roche: Martina Kirk; Evanna Corcoran, Mollie Kirk, Nicole Murray; Claire McCourt, Naoise McGeeney (0-1), Erin Hogan-Curtis; Erin Gorham (0-2), Ava Briscoe; Aimee Dunne, Lauren Briscoe (2-9), Megan Roe; Cliodhna O’Hare, Ellen Smith, Zoe Treacy

Sub: Kayleigh O’Hare

Referee: Finton Levins