Girls U12 (Born 2013) - Kilcullen

Naas U12 Major girls' team got their season underway with an excellent performance at home to Kilcullen on Friday night.

Playing 9v9 and on the larger pitch for the first time, Naas took to the new format straight away and tried to make use of the extra space.

Their work rate was fantastic in a close game that ended with a 2-0 defeat against a strong visiting team that brought a large squad and made good use of their fresh players.

Lauren O'Reilly produced some excellent saves, some of them one-on-one with the attacker, and tried to use the ball intelligently at all times. Abbygail O'Connor, who started her evening putting Kilcullen under pressure from the right of midfield, took her turn in goal in the closing minutes and produced another two superb saves.

Both goalkeepers showed real bravery in making some of their stops.

Alex Brereton anchored the defence brilliantly from centre-back and she was supported on either side at the start by Alana Fossland (captain) and Yuna Cahill. All three made a string of tackles and gave Naas a solid foundation for the game when in possession.

Claire McGrath and Julia Krol held the centre of midfield and worked tirelessly on both sides of the ball, while Evie Dodd and Alanna Leydon provided their team with wide options all evening while supporting their defenders.

One feature of the team's performance was the ability of numerous players to impress in unfamiliar positions. Millie Mulhall was excellent at left-back in the second-half while Annabel Hubble followed up a strong stint at the same position with another further up the field.

Cora Morgan came very close, more than once, to helping Naas get their opening goal, especially late on when the hosts had plenty of pressure. Layla Drewitt combined her role up front with defensive duties, including one audacious drag back when under pressure in her own area, while Ava Hartigan gave the Kilcullen defence a torrid time with her runs down the left wing.

Well done to all the girls for a brilliant effort in their first game and a thank you to all the parents (and siblings) who gave such great support on the sidelines.

Naas: Lauren O'Reilly, Alex Brereton, Yuna Cahill, Evie Dodd, Layla Drewitt, Alana Fossland, Annabel Hubble, Julia Krol, Alanna Leydon, Cora Morgan, Claire McGrath, Millie Mulhall, Abbygail O'Connor, Ava Hartigan.