Cooke Ladies league campaign took a set back with a 3 – 14 defeat by Highfield Ladies in a hard fought game at Shaws Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

The home side went into an early lead with a penalty from Grace Davitt but the first half was largely stalemate with both defences on top with few excursions into either 22.

Highfield’s Nicole Fitzgerald levelled the score with a penalty towards the end of the first half taking the half time score to 3 – 3.

The Cork side took the lead shortly after the restart with another Fitzgerald penalty and the play went from end to end as both sides searched for a decisive breakthrough in this intense game.

Unfortunately for Cooke it was the visitors who broke the impasse with a well taken try by hard running winger Eilish Foley taking the score to 3 – 11.

The Belfast side pushed hard to get back on terms with the game getting a bit fractious over the closing period but it was the visitors who had the last word with Fitzgerald slotting over her third penalty to take the final score to Cooke 3 Highfield 14.

Cooke: Elena Martin-Pineiro, Shirelle Wilson, Lizzie Ballentine, Nicola Dickson, Sarah Wilkinson, Eliza Downey, Caroline Kelly, Nikita Armstrong, Imogen Porter, Grace Davitt, Vanda Correia, Claire McLaughlin, Laura Nichol, Emma Rea, Teah Maguire.