Hat-trick hero Sherwood dazzles for Mark’s in Cup Final

A SECOND half hat-trick from star Ava Sherwood put the Under 16 Single Code Red Cup Final to bed for St Mark’s as they ran out 4-8 to 4-1 winners against Tyrrelstown.

It was Sherwood’s world at McGee Park on Sunday, all the spectators and players were just living in it as she kicked 3-1 from open play.

Deployed at full-forward, Sherwood’s dynamism came to fore for the final time this season for the Tallaght club after she kickstarted the decider with a beautiful point.

After coming out of the break just a point ahead, Sherwood latched onto a ball in from midfielder Tori Harte and picked out the top right corner with her left boot.

Not too long later, she doubled her goals tally after putting herself in harm’s way to wallop the ball home and hit a third at the death to cancel out a Tyrrelstown effort.

However, the Saints made hard work of it in parts despite Caitlin McCarthy sending them racing into an early lead with a quickfire 1-1.

Winger Zara Quirke terrorised the Tyrrelstown backs with her twisting and turning taking her to score four lovely points from play, the best of which came in the first half with the outside of the boot.

However, Tyrrelstown came roaring into the occasion to score two scrappy goals and reduce the half-time deficit to the minimum at just 1-5 to 2-1.

With this, captain Harte took the game by the scruff of the neck on the restart and laid down a marker with a massive point from distance.

Harte’s tenacity was the flame that lit the fire under Mark’s, with the midfielder collecting kickouts, driving at the opposition backline, and spraying penetrating passes around like a quarterback.

Similarly, her midfielder partner Aimée Noonan McKeever put on a clinic in harrying and blocking, while winger Brooke Davis’s work rate went a long way to dispel any Tyrrelstown advances.

Hope Harris, Maria Berezhnaya, Naomi Hatch and Aoibhín Ní Raghallaigh minded the house while Sophie Nelson provided a solid platform for her side with her pinpoint kickouts, steady hands, and organisation from between the posts.

With the game ticking to a close, full forward Abbey Greene selflessly dropped deep to support the backline as Niamh Berney, Ella Farrell and Jodi Costello mopped up.

Having put in a solid effort at centre forward, Emma Bonnie continued to link the play well while Yasmine Lynott and Jessica Felloni closed out the game.

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