LGFA Minor A semi-final
St. Ergnat’s 5-13 Gort na Mona 0-7
Holders, St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass advanced to another LGFA Minor final when they produced a five-star performance to overcome the challenge of Gort na Mona in the semi-final in Portglenone on Tuesday night.
Goals from Leah Stewart, Jo Jo Darragh and Annie Griffin between the 10th and 14th minute of the second half put matters to bed at a time when the Belfast girls had briefly threatened a comeback.
St. Ergnat’s led 1-9 to 0-2 at half time and added a point at the start of the second but three on the bounce from the Enright Park side suggested that perhaps this game wasn’t over.
That quick fire treble of majors from the Marian Hill side put paid to that notion and they added a fifth goal from a Ruby McErlain penalty in the 29th minute to run out convincing winners.
It was St. Ergnat’s who made all the early running with Jo Jo Darragh 0-2 and Katie McCloskey 0-2 shooting them into a four point lead by the 7th minute as they dominated the early exchanges.
There would be no relief for the Mona Bye-pass side as Annie Griffin added another before the impressive Darragh moved St. Ergnat’s six in front from a free and Ruby McErlain got herself on the score card with a goal in the 13th minute.
Darragh and McErlain added points before Orla McNulty finally opened the Gort na Mona account with a point in the 20th minute and Mia Dembele Mills followed with another before Katie McCloskey kicked the final point of the half to leave Moneyglass 1-9 to 0-2 ahead at the interval.
Gort na Mona started the second half well and after McCloskey had extended the reigning champions lead, Dembele Mills, Casey Meighan and Chloe Boyd Munce replied with three in a row.
The celebrations had scarcely finished before St. Ergnat’s responded with a sustained onslaught with points from Ruby McErlain and Leah Cassidy bookending a hat-trick of goals from Stewart, Darragh and Griffin to put matters to bed with 15 minutes remaining.
Ruby McErlain’s goal from the penalty spot in the 20th minute only served to put a brighter look on the score-board with the same player adding a late point and Gort na Mona finally rewarded for a battling effort with two late points from Casey Meighan and Brooke Largey.
St. Ergnat’s now meet St. Brigid’s in a repeat of last year’s final which the Marian Hill girls won and they will start this one as favourites but will face a tougher challenge from a Musgrave Park side who defeated St. Paul’s in the other semi-final on Sunday.
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