Rainey have winning feeling in Cookstown series of games

On Saturday, Rainey Endowed 1st XI travelled to Cookstown to play their local rivals at the High School, writes Tori Hastings.

The match started off at a high pace with Rainey hitting the post, having a penalty stroke saved and a shot off the post all in the first five minutes.

Cookstown then began to apply pressure on the Rainey midfield and defence but the back line held strong. A strong hit by Kirsty McLarnon into the circle from the left and a deflection on the right post by Nicole Heaney brought the score to 1-0.

The whistle blew for half time with the score remaining 1-0.

Rainey started the second period strongly knowing that Cookstown where certainly capable of damage in the circle. Rainey girls upped their game and made strong runs only to be denied by Cookstown’s excellent goal keeper.

The Rainey girls passed the ball with pace and from a good run by Robyn Chambers found themselves to win a short corner in Cookstown’s circle.

With another strong hit from Kirsty McLarnon the ball banged the backboard for the score to become 2-0.

Rainey ES 2nd X1 6 Cookstown HS 2nd XI 0

Rainey 2nds were on fire after the Christmas break scoring six goals against their Cookstown High School counterparts.

Goals came from Zara Bell (2), Cathy Holmes, Lauren McGookin, Olivia Menary and Nicole Ferguson.

Rainey ES U14 5 Cookstown HS U14 1

The Rainey girls were at home to Cookstown High School, writes Alice Hardy.

After a short warm up, the match began. It took Rainey the first 10 minutes to settle into the game as Cookstown were looking strong, putting some pressure on the Rainey defence of Megan Law, Alice Rowan, Alice Hardy and Laura Bolton.

Sarah Caldwell and Sara McClure were making some great runs down the right but on the twelfth minute of the game Rachel Burns took the ball around a few Cookstown players and calmly put the ball over the keepers head to put Rainey 1-0 up.

When Cookstown made a break, Rainey goalkeeper Erin Mulholland made a good save to keep Rainey in the game. The first half also saw forwards Emma Marshall, Thea Corry and Sara McClure all working well together.

Rainey came back in the second half and were playing much better so it only took seven minutes for Sara McClure to drop the ball back to Thea Corry who could slot the ball in the goal beautifully! Caitlin McNally, Emma Marshall and Lauren Mulholland were making some great attacks down the left creating some good scoring opportunities but on a few occasions, Rainey could not find the back of the net.

The next goal came from Rachel Burns who skilfully dribbled into the circle and put the ball past the keeper.  Cookstown soon broke through the Rainey defence, scoring a goal to make the score Rainey 3 Cookstown 1.

Great work down the right from Alex Burns and Sarah Caldwell saw Sara McClure score goal number 4 for Rainey. 

A few minutes before the full time whistle blew, Rainey thought there was time for another goal and it was Thea Corry, who finished the scoring, leaving the score at 5-1.

Rainey ES U13A 7 Cookstown U13 0

The Rainey U13A also played Cookstown at Meadowbank Sports Arena, writes Andrea Hegarty.

The Rainey played a quick passing game which saw them 3-0 up by half time with two goals from Andrea Hegarty and one from Katherine Glendinning.

Cookstown played well and made some great saves in defence but Rainey kept the pressure up in the second half to ensure four more goals, two from Lauren Mulholland, one a brilliant first time strike, a corner shot from Alex Burns and another good goal from Andrea Hegarty.