LGFA Minor C Football Final
St. John’s 5-14 All Saints 1-5
St. John’s had too much pace, and power for a battling All Saints in this Ladies C Minor Football final at a sunny Enright Park, Gort na Mona on Saturday night. The girls from the Whiterock led from start to finish and in Emma Park they had a superb leader and skilful score taker but she was just one in a great all round St. John’s side.
The Ballymena girls were in trouble from early on and when Park fired home the ‘Johnnies’ opening goal in the 7th minute and followed with a point a minute later they were 1-4 to 0-0 ahead. Luisne Adams, Hannah McAllister and Emma Park registered the opening three points before Anna O’Kane was just wide from a 10th minute free in All Saints first meaningful attack.
Emma Park replied with two more points for St. John’s before O’Kane made amends for her earlier miss with the South West side’s first point in the 22nd minute but St. John’s replied with goals from Hannah McAllister and Katie Cavanagh and points from Luisne Adams and Cavanagh to move into a very commanding 16 point lead as half time approached.
A couple of pointed frees from Anna O’Kane and the sending off of a Johnnie’s player offered the Ballymena girl’s a thread of hope as they turned around to play down the Enright slope for the second half but it looked a long way back for the Slemish Park side.
Those hopes were quickly dashed as Hannah McAllister raced through for the goal of the game in the 37th minute when she combined with Carla Hamill and Emma Park in a move that split the opposition defence wide open before firing past Erin Holmes.
A minute later an Emma Park attempt at pointing dipped under the crossbar and the game was as good as over as a contest though to their credit the Ballymena side never gave up. Anna O’Kane pointed her fourth free of the game and Aimee Kerr struck a great point from play as their side enjoyed a period of success.
St. John’s responded and Erin Holmes in the All Saints goals brought off a great save to deny Emma Park but it provided only brief respite as the Belfast side came back with points from Emma Park, Clodagh Lowry 0-2 and Hannah McAllister.
Despite facing impossible odds All Saints kept battling away and were rewarded when an Anna O’Kane dropping shot was parried into the path of Bronagh Killough who scrambled the ball over the line from close range.
Killough’s goal was to prove the final score of the game and as the final whistle sounded a delighted St. John’s and their supporters celebrated an excellent victory while their opponents sportingly remained on the field to applaud the presentation of the Minor C trophy to captain Aine Dudley.
St. John’s: 1 Catherine Thompson, 2 Eimear Johnston, 3 Clodagh Thompson, 4 Sophie Mcmahon, 5 Caoimhe Scannell, 6 Aine Dudley, 7 Sinead McAleavey, 8 Carla Hamill, 9 Emma early, 15 Katie Cavanagh, 11 Luisne Adams, 12 Hannah McAllister, 13 Clodagh Lowry, 14 Emma Park, 18 Ava Kennedy, 10 Lucy Reynolds, 20 Anna Adams, 19 Hanna Mead, 24 Aoife McGivern, 17 Meabh McAleavy
All Saints: 1 Erin Holmes, 2 Cate McCarte, 3 Alex Spurgeon, 4 Aimeelee Holmes, 5 Tess Brady, 6 Aoibhin Cosgrove, 7 Leah McArdle, 8 Briana Lee Cushenan, 9 Cliodhna Metrustry, 11 Anna O’Kane, 12 Anita McMahon, 13 Bronagh Killough, 14 Lucy McGuigan, 15 Eva Casey, 16 Kate Hasson, 17 Aimee Kerr, 18 Ella Mclaughlin, 19 Maebh Connolly,
Referee: Fionnuala Murphy (ST. Gall’s)
