Ellie Moore Shines as North Down 5s Draw with Instonians

From the opening whistle North Down ladies 5s set up camp in Instonians half. The attack was driven by Ellie Moore who hoodwinked the home team’s defence repeatedly displaying her flair in spins and dodges that left her marker standing still. The tempo of the game was set by Annalise Burnside whose keen eye and tireless energy dictated the flow of the match. She was a constant thorn in Instonians’ side, breaking down their plays by literally stealing the ball off their sticks. After every interception, she ran like blazes towards the attacking circle, feeding the forwards a constant stream of opportunities.

However, the story of the day were the endless shots at Instonians net. Whether there was an invisible film stretched across the net or simply a display of world-class goalkeeping remains a mystery (most likely the latter) but the North Down attackers simply could not find a way through. The pressure eventually earned them several short corners, but despite trying out various set-pieces the ball just couldn’t find its way over the line.

As the second half began, the home team found their second wind and mounted a serious counter-attack. However, the North Down backline remained unshakable as Charlotte Cairns and Poppy Watson provided expert shadowing, neutralizing the visiting wingers. Kaitlin Stewart and Rebecca Murdock were instrumental in clearing the danger, ensuring that any Instonians threats were snuffed out before they could test the keeper.

North Down displayed a fantastic work ethic throughout the whole game but at final whistle score was 0-0.

Player of the match Ellie Moore

Huge thanks to Julie Fisher for umpiring and Emma & Wes for managing the bench.