Antrim Ladies Intermediate Football Final
Con Magees Glenravel 4-4 St Pauls 2nds 0-10
Pic by Bert Trowlen
A large crowd were treated to an intriguing Intermediate final between the Junior Champions of 2017 and 2018, played out at the Bear Pit home of Sarsfields GAC . Underfoot conditions were slippy and it took both teams a while to settle into their game but first blood was to the city girls as Cara Mervyn found plenty of space to fire over 2 points.
Glenravel had plenty of possession but found the last pass into the inside forward line difficult to connect until centre forward Ellen Hynds ghosted into the back post and palmed the ball into the back of the net after the St Paul’s keeper had done well to parry Molly Woulahan’s initial shot. St Pauls drew back level but two excellent long-range points by the industrious Torie Edgar gave advantage back to the girls from the Glens. Plenty of opportunities were presented to the Con Magees and the scoreboard could have been busier. Molly Woulahan scored Glenravels second goal as the green and whites began to push home their dominance, but St Pauls looked dangerous when they pushed forward and had the Glenravel defence stretched on occasions only to find Orla Donnelly in the Glenravel goals in brilliant form. Niamh Ritchie for St Pauls and Niamh McKay from Glenravel traded points while two more St Pauls points before half time left only 3 points the gap at the short whistle.
The 2nd half started as the opening half had ended with St Pauls in the ascendancy. Within ten mins the tie was all square thanks mainly to 2 super point from half time substitute Nicole Kelly. Torie Edgar stopped the tide of St Pauls points to open the Glenravel second half account with a point. What followed was a magic minute for the Con Magees. Ellen Hynds collected out on the right wing and slipped the ball in the goalward bound Clare Emmerson who unleashed a rasping shot into the top right corner of Naoishe Clarke’s net from 20 meters. From the restart Laoise McKenna gained possession far out on the left wing. As she drove towards goal she found Torie Edgar free on the left edge of the square, and Edgar duly drove the ball into the top left corner of Clarke’s goal. St Pauls never recovered from that double blow and although they clawed back another point, the Glenravel defence were strong and saw out a famous six point victory for the Con Magees girls.
Con Magees: Orla Donnelly Eimhear McAleenan Emma Dillon Bronagh McKay Bronagh Laverty Colleen McNeill Caoimhe Duffin Maeve Mulholland Kirsty Laverty Clare Emerson Laoise McKenna Niamh McKay Aimee Traynor Torie Edgar Molly Woulahan Chloe McAuley Caoimhe McColgan Dervla Donaghy Ellen Hynds Alishia McPeake Clodagh McCann Keira O’Neill Lianne Kerr Una McAleenan Caoimhe McKeown Niamh Donnelly Shauna McDonnell Shauna Kelly Maria McKenna Kirsten Edgar Angela Duffin Sarah Fyfe Cassie McQuillan Maeve Donaghy Aisling Donnelly Lucy Carey Niamh O’Donnell Lauren Edgar Aisling Kerr Eimear Higgins Anita McKeown Nicole Laverty
St Pauls: Naoishe Clarke Eimear Burns Caitlin McCann Susie McKerr Meabh Finnegan Eimear Enright Brianna Coyle Seana Moyes Emile Duffy Niamh Ritchie Tracey Kelly Emer Rocks Rebecca McGivern Cara Mervyn Courtney Peoples Nicole Kelly Demi Lee McShane Niamh Matthews Cliodhna Phillips Aisling McCall Orlagh McCall Niamh Quinn Danielle Doherty
Referee: Mark McDonald
