Football

Video: Sizzling hot but Ladies Gaelic Football All Stars shine in Bangkok

TG4 Ladies Football All Star Tour 2018

THE 2016 All Star team earned the bragging rights after a one point, 7-19 to 7-18, win over their 2017 counterparts in blistering heat at the Chulalongkorn University Stadium in Bangkok on St Patrick's Day.

The All-Star exhibition game produced 14 goals, with seven apiece and the Ulster contingent on the tour grabbed six of those.

Dublin's Sinead Goldrick said it was "the hottest it's ever been" on their trip to Thailand "but the standard of football was brilliant".

The exhibition game was played in a sweltering heat of 37 degrees Celsius.

Armagh’s Aimee Mackin and Donegal’s Yvonne Bonner collected two goals each for the 2017 team, while Aisling Doonan and Niamh Hegarty grabbed a goal each for the victorious 2016 team.

The Ulster players also notched up 12 points with Mackin and Bonnar finishing with 2-3 apiece and Aisling Doonan 1-3 and still ended up on the losing team while for the winners, Monaghan’s Ciara McAnespie chipped in with three points.

It was a game played at a remarkable pace despite the sizzling heat and one which had a mixture of everything.

Not only were there some excellent score-taking, the saves on show from Ciara Trant, Martina O’Brien and Noelle Gormley were also top class.

The first quarter was an exciting one as 2016 team finished with two goals courtesy of Dublin’s star forwards.

Healy palmed into the net with just one minute on the clock while Sinéad Aherne followed suit just before the whistle sounded to make it 2-8 to 0-10.

Monaghan’s Ciara McAnespie was another to keep the scoreboard ticking over while Mackin, Doonan and Bonner were among those to split the posts for the 2017 team.

Healy was on fire once again in the second quarter, bagging two goals in quick succession before Orla Finn found the back of the net for the 2016 team’s fifth goal.

At the other end, Donegal’s Niamh Hegarty and Mackin rattled the net as the scoreboard read 5-12 to 2-15 at half-time.

On the restart and fresh from captaining DCU to Gourmet Food Parlour O’Connor Cup glory, Tipperary’s Aishling Moloney sprung to life collecting 0-3 to spur the 2016 team on. At the other end, Doonan fired home while Mackin continued to impress.

Lyndsey Davey accounted for two of the 2016 team’s, while Bonner, Niamh McEvoy and Mackin slotted home at the other end to close proceedings.

But it was too little, too late for Mick Bohan’s 2017 contingent as Ephie Fitzgerald’s charges held out for a narrow win.

2016 scorers: Noelle Healy 3-2, Lyndsey Davey 2-1, Orla Finn 1-2, Sinead Aherne 1-1 (0-1f), Aisling Moloney & Ciara McAnespie 0-3 each, Fiona McHale 0-2, Sharon Courtney, Mairead Wall, Ciara O’Sullivan, Aoife McAnespie & Karen Guthrie 0-1 each.

2017 scorers: Aimee Mackin & Yvonne Bonner 2-3 each, Aisling Doonan 1-3, Niamh McEvoy 1-2 (0-1f), Niamh Hegarty 1-0, Sarah Rowe 0-2, Nicole Owens, Eimear Scally, Emma Spillane, Lorraine Scanlon & Aileen Gilroy 0-1 each.