Match Report – Banbridge Academy Girls 1st XI – Sat 28th Jan 2017
Banbridge Academy’s 1st XI girls team travelled last Saturday into the lions den to take on the highly rated Ballyclare High School in the top tie of the Belfast Telegraph Senior Schools Cup quarter-finals. Ballyclare on their own pitch was always going to be a tough task for the Lurgan Road girls and when you add in a sprinkling of Ulster under 16 and 18 stars into the Ballyclare team the size of the task was made all the more difficult. Bann however are also a top rated team and a classic encounter was on the cards.
Two full strength teams lined up to do battle on a cool damp morning roared on by a large vociferous crowd and it was the locals who set their stall out first as they took the game to the home side. Prompted by the livewire forward line of Sophie Mount, Nadia Benallal, and Gemma Hasson they pushed the Co Antrim side back into their own half. This front 3 enjoyed a superb supply of ball from the midfield trio of Orla Thompson, Emma Gregson, and Katie McKee, rated amongst the top midfield units in Ulster schoolgirl hockey, and they were making the home defence work hard to keep them out.
It came as no surprise when Bann forced the first short corner of the match after 10 minutes and although the initial routine was blocked the ball fell to Orla Thompson and her deceptive goal bound effort was kept out by a Ballyclare foot. The umpire correctly awarded a penalty stroke and Katie McKee stepped up to calmly fire her side into the lead. Bann who have not played a fixture since their impressive 5-1 demolition of a fancied Rainey side in the previous round in early December continued to hold the upper hand.
The home side however are made of stern stuff and they gradually forced their way into the tie and the Bann defence of Charley Brush, Gina Woods, Ellen Reid and Holly Hanna had to be at their best to keep them at bay. Bann however were fairing the better in the heated caldron battle in midfield and were unlucky not to extent their lead when a superb Sophie Mount run after 20 minutes nearly played in Gemma Hasson on goal.
The frenetic first half came to an end with Bann on top but the home side looking very dangerous on the counter. Both squads used the half time break to catch their breadths and gather themselves for what was to be another 30 minutes of top class action. The second half was to be a carbon copy of the first with Bann holding the upper hand and the home side looking to catch them with the sucker punch on the break. It was all down to who could take their chances.
Initially Bann’s luck was out as they hit the post after 40 minutes from another short corner rebound and also found the home keeper in superb form as she denied Katie McKee twice in quick succession. It was going to take something special to open up the home defence and it duly arrived from Bann’s Nadia Banallal after 50 minutes when she appeared to be hemmed into a corner but a superb spin took past her 2 bewildered defenders and into just enough space to square the ball across the home goal. Sophie Mount was then on hand to pick up the pieces after Orla Thompson’s initial effort had been blocked to flick the ball over the keeper to give her side a crucial 2 goal advantage.

Could Bann hold out? They did for another 6 minutes until the home forced their first short corner of the game with four minutes left on the clock. They went to plan B after the first effort was blocked and an astute pass was finished off superbly by the home side to put the tie back into the melting pot. The locals to their credit assumed control again and safely saw out the remaining minutes much to their delight to book themselves a semi-final spot for the 3rd year in a row.
Can they go one better than 2 years ago when they lost to Sullivan in the final? The semi-final draw takes place on Tuesday and Bann will wait to see if it is either Armagh Royal, Sullivan, or the winners of the remaining tie between Friends and Wallace that they face in the semis to be played mid week at Garvey on Wed 8th Feb. Regardless of their opponents Bann will be totally focused on the job in hand as they seek to take another step on the way to perhaps landing the blue riband event in schoolgirl hockey for the first time.
The squad would like to thank the umpires, all the supporters, Mr McLaughlin and Mrs Derby for all their help on the day.