Ulster U16 Boys beat Ireland U16 Girls 4-2 in a friendly match at Queen’s University last night.
The high-scoring fixture was the first time the newly formed U16 squad played together and comes ahead games with Scotland in the next few weeks.
The first chance of the game came with 13 minutes on the clock when Ulster won their first short corner of the game.
A combination at the top of the circle eventually saw the ball played left to Cohn Henry-McCool but the forwards effort went narrowly wide at the near post.
Just a minute later it was Irish girls who won a series of penalty corners before Alana Thornton’s strike earned her side a penalty stroke, but the resulting effort was saved by Rory Cunningham.
Immediately after the restart it was Ireland who broke once more as Evie Girvan found herself one vs one with Cunningham but again it was the goalkeeper who came out on top.
In the closing stages of the quarter, the game finally got its opening goal.
Having won their second penalty corner of the tie, Ulster’s Josh Gill struck from the top of the circle with his effort squeezing past Ireland goalkeeper Stella Wylie.
The Irish side had time to create one more chance before the half time whistle as Lara Wilson played Daisy Nicholson through on goal.
However having taking the chance on her reverse, there effort went narrowly wide across the face of the goalmouth as it stayed 1-0 at half time.
With 35 minutes on the clock Ulster nearly doubled their advantage when Charlie Taylor broke down the left wing.
The forward managed to get to the byline before firing a ball across the face of the Irish goal, but there was nobody there to get a decisive touch.
It didn’t take much longer to get their second goal as Owen Dobson was left unmarked in the circle before his slapped effort found the corner of the net midway through the quarter.
Just two minutes later Dobson got his second of the game as he once again found space in the circle and was found at the back post for a tap-in to make it 3-0.
However, Ireland had the perfect response as straight from the restart they broke down the left wing.
Eventually, a ball into the circle picked out Bonnie Connor-Boyd right on top of the goalkeeper before she turned and got a shot off and got a goal back for her side.
The goalmouth action continued at the beginning of the final quarter with Ulster winning an early penalty corner.
At the top of the circle, it was Daniel Shannon whose drag flick picked out the bottom left corner and made it 4-1 to Ulster.
Then, in the closing stages of the fixture, Ireland got one more consolation strike.
Again from a penalty corner, the ball was crashed to the back post before Ruby Johnston was left with a clear-cut chance which she converted to bring the score to 4-2 as it finished.
