Allianz Rackard League Girls Football Final Roinn C
St.Aidan’s 5-3 St.Senan’s 1-4
A final quarter surge, inspired by wing forward Aideen Byrne, saw St.Aidan’s claim their first ever Allianz Rackard League Girls football title against a gallant St.Senan’s team in a cracker of a match in St.Patrick’s Park on Wednesday last. This Cathedral town derby had everything and kept the large crowd enthralled to the final whistle.
Both sides settled quickly and there was an early let off for St.Senan’s when Sarah Doyle’s goal was disallowed for an infringement on goalie Kathlynn O’Connor. It was St.Senan’s who opened the scoring with an opportunist goal from Rebecca Long who was quickest to react to a long delivery from Siobhan Fanning after good work from Shauna Dwyer. St.Aidan’s responded immediately with a fantastic individual goal from Aideen Byrne. She collected the ball out on the wing and broke through the defence and unleashed an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net to level the scores with seven minutes gone. St.Aidan’s were piling on the pressure and were unlucky not to goal again through Byrne and Sarah Doyle with Kathlynn O’Connor performing heroics in the St.Senan’s goal. Anais Curran and Siobhan Fanning traded minors before Leanne Cullen’s towering effort dipped under the crossbar to edge St.Aidan’s back in the lead 2-1 to 1-1 after sixteen minutes. Both sides were playing excellent football at this stage with committed blocks and great defending. Time and again the St.Aidan’s forwards were surging through only for last ditch tackles from the St.Senan’s defence with Kathleen Redmond and Tara Farrell being particularly prominent. However Aideen Byrne was unlucky to see her goal bound effort crack off the crossbar just on half time to leave just a goal between the sides at the break.
From the throw in St.Aidan’s broke forward but again Kathlynn O’Connor pulled off a magnificent save from Aideen Byrne’s low shot. This sparked St.Senan’s back into life. It became the Shauna Dwyer show as in the space of three minutes she reeled off three points one better than the next to level the scores 1-4 to 2-1 and the excitement level of the large crowd reached fever pitch. However St.Aidan’s recovered their composure with Anais Cullen, Leanne Cullen and Chloe Doyle becoming more and more dominant. This provided the platform for Aideen Byrne to show her array of skills and a quick fire goal double sent St.Aidan’s back into the lead. First she broke through the St.Senan’s defence to fire low to the net while on the second she was on the end of a fine passing move involving Sarah Doyle and Taylon Kinnaird coming into the last quarter. Sarah Doyle, who worked hard throughout, sent over a minor before another goal and a point from Aideen Byrne sealed this famous first ever girls football title for the St.Aidan’s girls.
St.Senan’s can be proud of their first ever final appearance with Kathlynn O’Connor, Aoibhe McCormack performing heroics in defence. Siobhan Fanning covered every inch of the field well supported by the Byrne twins Cody and Zara and Shauna Dwyer was a constant threat in attack. St. Aidan’s had star performers throughout the field . Their defence was superb, well marshalled by Megan Dobbs. Becky Walsh, Anais Curran and Leanne Cullen used possession intelligently throughout and they had top class finishers in Aideen Byrne and Sarah Doyle. There was great jubilation when Leanne Cullen received the Allianz Rackard Cup from John Brennan of the Rackard League.
St.Aidan’s. Eve Morrissey, Sinead Morrissey, Megan Dobbs, Leah Furlong, Caoimhe Kehoe, Becky Walsh, Anais Curran, Leanne Cullen, Lauryn Whitely, Aideen Byrne, Chloe Doyle, Sarah Doyle, Taylon Kinnaird also Kelly Walsh, Chloe Butler, Rhona Murphy, Lily Mahon, Ciara Kelly, Sarah Doyle, Tasha McCurry, Jessica O’Brien, Bobbie Hendrick, Lauren Doran, Lauren Kenny, Yvonne Moorehouse, Sarah O’Connor Cole, Bonnie Kinnaird, Courtney Cleary, Kasey Grant.
St.Senan’s. Kathlynn O’Connor, Kathleen Redmond, Tara Farrell, Katie Carolan, Aoibhe McCormack, Zara Byrne, Cody Byrne, Siobhan Fanning, Chloe Somers, Shauna Dwyer, Emma Moorehouse, Chelsea Somers, Rebecca Long also Aine O’Sullivan, Mackenzie O’Leary, Hilary Adegoke, Grace Shanahan, Ava Merrigan, Natalie Sherlock, Fabiana Gancalves, Alina Sabu, Tunmise Akinyemi, Chloe Doyle, Anna Kavanagh, Shantelle Robinson O’Toole, Isabelle Sinnott, Kiara Murphy, Karyn Murphy, Kinga Kantorowicz, Louise O’Toole, Jennifer Allen, Alex Moorehouse, Nan Moorehouse, Eliza Gahan.
Referee: Ger O’Reilly
Allianz Girls Football Roinn B Final
The Mercy Wexford 0-12 Ballygarrett 1-8
The Mercy Wexford held off a fantastic comeback in the last quarter to claim their first ever girls title in this thriller played under lights in St.Patricks Park on Wednesday last. The Mercy had opened up an eight point lead at one stage and looked in control but were rocked by a stirring comeback that had the Mercy supporters counting the seconds in this pulsating Allianz Roinn B Final.
It was Ballygarrett who settled the quicker with the hard running Megan Cahill, who impressed throughout, firing over the opening point. Aoife Kelly who was a constant threat broke in from the right to level the scores with six minutes gone. It was end to end at this stage with very little between the sides. Aoife Kelly and Megan Cahill traded minors with ten minutes gone before Sarah Murphy edged the Wexford girls in front for the first with an excellent point. This was the signal for a sustained period of Mercy pressure where they dominated proceedings until half time. Aoife Dwyer and Clara Doherty snuffed out any Ballygarrett attacks while Sarah Murphy and Kate Redmond Brown took a vice like grip at mid field. It saw a succession of points from The Mercy with a Sarah Murphy treble and a double from the fleet footed Aoife Kelly. There was great attacking flair from the Mercy girls with Sinead Rafter and Allanah Corcoran also to the fore in this spell of dominance. Indeed if it wasn’t for the inspired goalkeeping of Ciara Doyle The Mercy could have been out of sight at half time as she produced a series of stunning saves to keep Ballygarrett in the match only trailing 0-8 to 0-2 at half time.
The Mercy resumed where they left off with two quick fire points from the skilful Caoimhe O’Sullivan stretching their lead to eight. However Ballygarrett began to win more possession and began making inroads into the Mercy defence. Megan Cahill split the posts to signal the Gorey District girls revival. Kate O’Loughlin, Sophie Kelly and Sophie Boylan came more and more into the game for Ballygarrett. Anna Doyle followed their lead with and excellent point and she followed this up with a well taken goal when she stole in behind the defence to rattle the net making it 1-4 to 0-10 entering the last quarter. Sarah Murphy settled Mercy nerves somewhat with another fine individual minor but this was cancelled out by Anna Doyle who worked the space well before firing over. Aoife Kelly and Megan Cahill swapped minors with five minutes left but the pressure from Ballygarrett was building all the time. Sally Walker, in The Mercy goal, was a cool head as she dealt with a series of high balls with great confidence but two further Ballygarrett minors from Cahill and Doyle left the minimum entering injury time. A final effort drifted agonisingly wide for Ballygarrett with The Mercy girls relieved to hear the final whistle. A delighted captain Clara O’Doherty received the Allianz Rackard Cup from John Brennan of the Rackard League.
Ciara Doyle, Sophie Boylan, Kate O’Loughlin, Sophie Kelly, Anna Doyle and Megan Cahill never gave up for Ballygarrett while The Mercy had match winners in Sally Walker, Aoife Dwyer, Clara Doherty, Aoife Kelly and Sarah Murphy.
The Mercy. Sally Walker, Clodagh Bruen, Sinead Cuddihy, Rachel Curran, Kate Frayne, Aoife Dwyer, Aoife Kelly, Jodie Kent, Emer McCormack, Sarah Murphy, Clara O’Doherty, Caoimhe O’Sullivan, Kate Redmond Brown,Sadhbh Cullinane, Julia Dempsey, Anna Marcella, Hannah Malone, Johanna North, Eve Hession, Emma Jones, Sinead Rafter, Allanah Corcoran, Sarah O’Leary, Sally Bruen, Liadh Dwyer.
Ballygarrett. Ciara Doyle, Alice Canavan, Sophie Boylan, Carragh Murphy, Kate O’Loughlin, Sophie Kelly, Anna Doyle, Megan Cahill, Rachel Kavanagh, Sherene Hamilton, Aine Neary, Taina Cardiff, Eve Loughlin. Also Sinead Murphy, Isobel Byrne, Alyson McPartland, Rebecca Byrne, Josephine Gahan, Leila Mulhall, Shannon Tomkins, Denise Smith, Emma Dunne, Jennifer Dunbar, Megan Lanagan, Leah Byrne, Sarah Dunne, Ellen O’Loughlin, Chloe Morris.
Referee: Dickie Murphy