Tallaght Women 34
Tries: Aisling Pyke 4, Louise Leonard Flood, Lorraine McManus
Conversions: Grainne Leonard Flood 2
Wanderers 17
Sunday, 18th January, 2026
Leinster League Division 5
Pitch 100, Firhouse
Tallaght took on Wanderers in Division 5 of the Women’s league on pitch 100 in Firhouse. Tallaght started well and Aisling Pyke finished off a good team move to score the first try of the game. Grainne Leonard Flood converted to give Tallaght a 7-0 lead.
Pyke then made a clean break and linked up with Kim Littlefield who was hauled down just short of the line. But Louise Leonard Flood was on hand to follow up and burrow her way over for Tallaght’s second try of the match. Her wife Grainne made the conversion to make it 14-0 for Tallaght.
Wanderers then had a long spell of pressure in the Tallaght half but Adriana Silvela, Ellen Kelly and Martina Fitzpatrick made big tackles and eventually forced a turnover. Tallaght got down the pitch again and after strong carries from Emma Irvin and Sam Ledden, Pyke got over the line from close range to make it 19-0 to Tallaght. Wanderers had some useful players, especially in the back three and they scored out wide to make it 19-5. But Pyke scored her hat-trick try to make the halftime score 24-5 to Tallaght.
Perhaps Tallaght relaxed a little bit in the second half but Wanderers started to dominate possession. Eventually the pressure told and they scored a try in the corner to make it 24-10. Tallaght got back up the pitch and after strong carries from Abbie Keeley and Clodagh Cullagh, skipper Lorraine McManus went through for a try to make it 29-10.
Wanderers kept coming and their excellent full back stepped a few Tallaght defenders to get over for a deserved try which was converted to make it 29-17 with ten minutes left. It was closer than Tallaght had expected the game to be and it made for some anxious moments. But a smart kick from Abbie Keeley got them back up the pitch and they got over the line with Aisling Pyke touching down for her fourth try in a player of the match display. It made the finals score 34-17 to Tallaght and keeps them third in the table.
Tallaght head coach Adam Nolan was pleased with the overall display. “The workrate was very good throughout and we built our play intelligently and took our tries well. We maybe let them back into it a little in the second half but we finished strongly and got the final score of the game. We now have a trip to Ferbane next week before a week off for the Bank Holiday weekend. We like how we’re playing and we want to keep the momentum going.”
Player of the match: Aisling Pyke
Tallaght RFC
- Martina Fitzpatrick
- Emma Irvin
- Samantha Ledden
- Ellen Kelly
- Adriana Silvela
- Kim Littlefield
- Lorraine McManus
- Louise Leonard Flood
- Grainne Leonard Flood
- Abbie Keeley
- Clodagh Cullagh
- Aisling Pyke
- Niamh Moore
Photos: Sandri Fasho-Masallam
