LGFA Minor A Final
Moneyglass 7-7 Gort na Mona 1-9
When Gort na Mona turned around at half time trailing by only two points to hot favourites, St. Ergnat’s Moneryglass at Dunsilly on Friday evening an upset looked possible. However the Marian Hill girls, who have been the dominant force in ladies football in recent years pulled away to win convincingly in the second half.
The impressive Blaithin Nic Cathail pointed the Turf Lodge girls into the lead within 30 seconds but Ciara O’Boyle replied almost immediately with a goal for St. Ergnat’s to give them the lead.
Gort na Mona responded from a pointed free by Gabrielle Monaghan in the 9th minute before Licia Boyd restored the South West side’s three point advantage with 12 minutes gone.
Gort na Mona were giving as good as they got at this stage and came back with a point from Mia Mills but once again St. Ergnat’s were able to find a response and Maria O’Neill restored their advantage from a pointed free in the 14th minute.
Hannah Murray increased that advantage to three points at the end of the opening quarter but the West Belfast girls were starting to grow into the contest and they hit two on the bounce through Broghan Crossan and Ciara Maguire to leave the minimum between the sides with 18 minutes on the clock.
Just when it looked like Gort na Mona were taking a grip on proceedings Moneyglass came storming back and a good move involving several players saw Maria O’Neill fire home their second goal of the game to move them four in front with 8 minutes remaining to the break.
To their credit the girls from the Mona Bypass picked themselves up of the carpet again and finished the half very much on the front foot and points from a Ciara Maguire free and another from play by the excellent Blaithin Nic Cathail saw them close the gap to two at the short whistle.
The scene looked set for a nail biting second half but in the event whatever words of wisdom were passed onto the St. Ergnat’s girls during the interval seemed to have a profound affect and they returned to the field a side unrecognisable to the one who had struggled in the first.
Gort na Mona would only add two score during the second thirty minutes as St. Ergnat’s turned on the after burners with a clinical display their opponents quite simply could not live with.
Maria O’Neill opened the scoring with a point in the 3d minute and Cliona Griffin followed with a goal as the South West girls came racing out of the start blocks. Griffin added a second goal in the 42nd minute and Leah Stewart followed with a third two minutes later.
Points from Nicole Cassidy, Alicia Boyd and Leah Cassidy puit the contest out of reach of the opposition and late goals from Maria O’Neill and Katie McCloskey ensured that there would be no way back for a Gort na Mona side who were appearing in their first Minor A final.
The loser could only manage two second half points from the boot of Ciara Maguire but will have learned from the experience and the solid work that has been going on at the club has ensured that they have emerged as a serious force in Ladies football.
Moneyglass: 1 Emily McCoy, 2 Erin Duffin, 3 Saoirse McErlean, 4 Molly McCoy, 5 Clina Griffin, 6 Sarah O’Neill, 7 Niamh Neeson, 8 Ciara O’Boyle, 9 Aoife Kelly, 10 Nicole Cassidy, 11 Alica Boyd, 12 Ciara Scullin, 13 Annie Griffin, 14 Maria O’Neill, 15 Hannah Murray, 17 Leah Cassidy, 18 Leah Stewart, 19 Cara McKeefry, 20 Maria McNally, 21 Katie McCloskey, 22 Saffron McCann, 23 Orla McAteer, 24 Phoebe English, 25 Ailbhe O’Boyle, 26 Caoimhe McErlean.
Gort na Mona: 1 Holly McGahey, 2 Seana Bradley, 3 Katie Irvine, 4 Chloe Lemon, 5 Tiernagh Elle, 6 Broghan Crossan, 7 Caoimhe Delaney, 8 Jeyda Rooney, 9 Gabrielle Monaghan, 10 Casey Meghan, 11 Blaithin Nic Cathail, 12 Mia Mills, 13 Alyssa Davidson, 14 Ciara Maguire, 15 Duailtin Nic Cathail, 16 Cara Nolan, 17 Nicole Dobbin, 18 Chloe Boyd Munce, 19 Katie Kearney, 20 Cuisie Maguire, 21 Fiona Syers, 22 Rebecca McCregghan
