Saturday will be an historic day at Moyle View park as the Milford Ladies team make their debut in the Ulster junior championship.
They qualify for Ulster by virtue of their first county final win four week’s ago. The ladies section of the club was set up six years ago when Martin Barrett and Louis Gallagher entered a team into the under 14 league.
Since then the ladies section has gone from strength to strength with teams now competing at all levels from under 12 up to senior. Indeed there are a number of the under 14 team from six years ago who are still members of the senior panel having played all the way up.
Three years ago it was decided to enter a team at adult level for the first time and the club competed at Junior level. They exceeded all expectations in their first year by reaching a county semi-final and also being beaten in a play off for the league. In the teams second year the hard work continued as they won the league and Gaelteacht titles. In this their third year, they secured the Intermediate Gaelteacht title back in May and are currently unbeaten in the Intermediate league with a couple of games left to play. In early September they secured the holy grail of a county championship with their defeat of St. Nauls having also beaten Buncrana and Dungloe along the way. It has also been a very successful year at underage level for the club with both the under 14 and under 16 teams reaching county semi finals.
The team currently have thirty members on the panel with a good blend of youth and experience. The large panel has been needed in the last few weeks as with girls returning to college training has been effected, but with everyone home at the weekends the girls have spent the last few Sunday morning’s putting in a huge effort to get ready for the game. Every member of the panel has put in the work this year and have made it really hard for the management to pick a starting fifteen for each game. But it is reassuring to know that anyone that starts or comes in as a sub will make a huge contribution. The team also has a number of players who have played for the county at various levels over the last couple of years including Orla Harrisson, Bridgeen Devenney, Caoimhe Barrett, Niamh Carr, Amber Barrett, Orla McAteer and Shannon McGroddy and they will be hoping that the experience of these girls will be a big help on Saturday.
The girls are up against the Antrim champions, St Josephs Glenavey, and the throw in at Moyle View Park is at 3pm. The club would urge the whole town to come out and support the girls and try and make the home advantage count. It’s been a fantastic year so far but the girls are determined that their year is not over yet.
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