U14B Final
Ahoghill 3.08 Portglenone 1.00
The U14 Div 1B Championship final was contested by St Mary’s Ahoghill and Geraldine’s Portglenone in Cargin on Wednesday evening.
Ahoghill got out of the blocks quickly when a free around the 45 was sweetly delivered by Niamh Graham. It was always looking like a score but an over-head flick from Katie McCloskey helped the sliotar on its way to the back of the net.
For the 1st ten minutes the ball rarely crossed the Portglenone 20 meter line and Niamh Graham pointed from a 45 followed by 2 points off Mollie Horan’s hurl after fine deliveries from Maeve O’Donnell and Enya Neeson.
Another 45m free saw Graham repeat her opening strike and the ball dropped into the net this time without assistance, with the resulting puck out overturned with a point from Charlotte Logan to see Ahoghill sitting confident at the first water break 2.06 to 0.00.
The break in play slowed the Ahoghill momentum and they found themselves chasing several Portglenone advances giving the Ahoghill defence plenty to do and they were unable to stop Caitlin Irwin rattling the back of the net with a well taken goal. However that would be the Bannsider’s only score despite a never-give-up attitude and unlike the 1st quarter, they held Ahoghill up enough to only manage 2 points from 45s taken by the accurate Niamh Graham
The second half was a largely mid-field battle, but the smallest player on the pitch, Aoibheann Neeson came out of a dogged ruck and she carried to deliver a great ball to Mollie Horan who sent it into the net for Ahoghill’s 3rd goal and Horan pointed again after catching a delivery from Maeve ODonnell taking her tally to 1.03.
In the last quarter Geraldine’s tried relentlessly to break the staunch Ahoghill defence and the ball went back and forth between the 45 and 13 m line repeatedly, with Caoimhe Scullion, Katie McCloskey and Orla Neeson having to empty the tank in an attempt to keep Portglenone from breaking through, but a free for Ahoghill in their own 45, taken by Niamh Graham was plucked from the air by Enya Neeson who turned to split the posts just ahead of the final whistle to see the Ahoghill girls lift the cup.
Geraldine’s: Amy Hyndman Cait Carey, Anna Graham, Sally Scullion, Una McGowan , Cara Burns, Hannah Friel, Nailsea Henry , Ellen McAleer, Caitlin Erwin, Katie-Marie Hyndman, Hollie Martin, Sinead Vallely, Josephine Darren, Cara Friel, Niamh Brookman, Maeve Graham, Aedín Vallely, Lucy McCann, Amy Totten, Cliodhna McKeever, Amy Addison Aoife McGrogan, Grace Law, Caitlin Griffin
St Mary’s Ahoghill: Sophie Horan, Niamh McErlain, Caoimhe Scullion, Anna Mitchell, Órla Neeson, Niamh Graham (1.03), Ella Douthart, Maeve ODonnell (1-3), Enya Neeson (0.01) , Megan ODonnell Katie McCloskey(1-0), Aoibheann Neeson, Aoife Neeson, Mollie Horan Charlotte Logan (0.01), Grace McGarry, Mollie Friel, Amy Horan
Referee Anthony McAulay
