Goals from Cora Magee in the 11th and 29th minute of the first half paved the way for a St. John’s victory over Rossa in this Kennedy Centre Junior Football Championship final at Musgrave Park.
The Johnnies ladies held the upper hand for most of the game as Magee’s goal and points from Debbie Boyd 0-2 and Niamh Hamill in reply to one from Meadbh Gallagher had them 1-2 to 0-1 ahead after 11 minutes.
St. John’s hit a further three on the bounce through Lusine Adams, Debbie Boyd and Marie Mulholland before Aoife McKenna raised the Rossa‘s second white flag with 24 minutes gone.
Magee’s second goal in the 29th minute and a late Orla Corr point had the Whiterock girls in a strong position at half time when they led 2-7 to 0-2 at the half way stage.
Cora Magee, who had been to the fore throughout the opening half, got the ball rolling in the second half with a point in the third minute and further points from Marie Mulholland and Magee again had St. John’s 14 ahead by the 9th minute.
Aoife McKenna kicked Rossa’s opening point at the end of the third quarter and when Meabh Gallagher followed immediately with a goal there was just a glimmer of light for the Shaw’s Road side.
That light was quickly extinguished however as St. John’s came roaring back with a Debbie Boyd point and Magee followed with her fourth goal of the game and Orla Corr added another point before Meadbh Laverty struck with their fifth goal with three minutes remaining.
Rossa kept going to the better end and a late goal from Roise Matthews put a better look on the final scoreline with the superb Magee bringing her personal tally to 4-2 with the game’s final score.
St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass are the LGFA U16A Football champions after overcoming the challenge of neighbours, Erin’s Own Cargin in an entertaining final in Ahoghill.
Goals from Leah Stewart and Leah Cassidy in the first half saw the Marian Hill girls lead by 2-9 to 0-4 at the half way stage and even at this early juncture it was difficult to see their neighbours making a come-back in the second half.
The girls in Blue & Amber pushed on in the second period to hit four further majors with Katie McCloskey, Leah Stewart, Jo Jo Darragh with two from the penalty spot rattling the Cargin net.
The Toome side never gave up, despite fighting against impossible odds and were rewarded for their never say die attitude with two late goals from Roisin Quinn.
St. Ergnat’s raced into an early four point lead with Leah Stewart, Jo Jo Darragh, Annie Griffin and Katie McCloskey on target before Orlath Johnston opened the Cargin account with a point in the 6th minute.
The same player had the opportunity to level the contest when her side was awarded a penalty, two minutes later but fired over from the spot to close the gap to two points.
Moneyglass would push on to lead by 11 at the break with Katie McCloskey 0-2, Josephine Darragh and Ruby McErlaine adding points and Stewart and Cassidy finding the net and Laura Scullion and Orlath Johnston replying with points for the Toome girls.
St. Ergnats put matters well out of reach of their opponents with those four second half goals that all came between the 10th and the 22nd minutes with Katie McCloskey and Leah Stewart completing their doubles and Jo Jo Darragh converting two penalties.
Cargin battled to the final whistle and got some consolation with Roisin Quinn raising a couple of Green flags and their points coming from Laura Scullion and Cliodhna McKeever and while they will be disappointed with the final result they can be well satisfied with their first season at this level.
Moneyglass scorers: Leah Stewart 2-1, Leah Cassidy 1-0, Jo Jo Darrtagh 2-2, Katie McCloskey 1-3, Annie Griffin 0-2, Ruby McErlain 0-1
Goals were the difference at Slemish Park on Saturday afternoon as Lámh Dhearg U-16s clinched the Northern Property U-16 B title with a 4-10-0-07 win over Oisins.
First half goals from Lauren Smyth and Aoife Fitzsimons had their side 2-03-0-03 ahead at the break, and further strikes from Fitzsimons and Lauren Mullan inside the opening quarter of the second period ensured that the trophy would be heading to Hannahstown at the games conclusion.
Erin McNaughton converted a fourth minute free to give Oisin’s the early advantage, but Aoife Fitzsimons would level at the other end after Amelie Annett released Lauren Smyth with a quickly taken free.
Cara Lynch and Kayla Stanley were providing an attacking threat from deep with Laoise Stone providing an outlet to the Lámhs attacking third.
The Hannahstown side found the opening goal of the game on the 13th minute. Kayla Stanley won possession and offloaded to Aoife Fitzsimons- who showed a burst of pace before the slipping the ball to Lauren Smyth to fire home.
Smyth added successive points, the first following a neat exchange between Lila McCann and Fitzsimons before linking up with Ameile Annett to give her side a 1-03-0-01 lead.
A converted Dervla McMullan free temporarily closed the deficit for Oisin’s, but Lámh Dhearg doubled their goal tally a minute before the break.
Aoife Fitzsimons played a crucial part in her sides opener and added to her early point with an angled effort that found the corner of the net, following a fine move involving Rhea Hanna and Aoibhinn Clenaghan in the build-up.
A fine Kiera McLaughlin point finished the scoring for the opening half with Smyth and Fitzsimons goal the difference, ensuring the Lámhs held a 2-03-0-03 advantage.
Oisin’s began the second period on the front foot with Sarah Black swinging over a fine point and Erin McNaughton kicking her second free of the afternoon.
Although their momentum was quashed when Lámh Dhearg found the net for the third time.
Charlotte Coleman tried to work the angle for a shot that skewed off target and into the path of Lauren Mullan- who rifled high to the net to make it 3-03-0-05.
Points were traded in the aftermath between Erinmae Mitchell and Ameile Annett (free) before Lámh Dhearg further asserted their grip on proceedings.
Charlotte Coleman popped over and just before the midway point in the half, Aoife Fitzsimons bore down on goal and squeezed a low shot inside near post to give her side a 4-05-0-06 lead.
Attacking defensive duo Cara Lynch and Caitriona Doran got in on the act with back-to-back points as the Lámhs had chalked up 1-04 without reply,
Glenariff’s final score of proceedings came courtesy of a Dervla McMullan free, although they may have found a goal in the aftermath, only for Lámhs goalkeeper Breena Armstrong to turn Erinmae Mitchell’s effort around the post.
Jodie Peoples and Holly Black worked tirelessly along with their defensive colleagues in order to maintain their shut-out late on.
Three further points late on would complete the job for Lámh Dhearg. Lauren Smyth provided two of those and Lila McCann dropped over the other to ensure that they ran out 4-10-0-07 winners at the conclusion and collected the U-16 B title.
Lámh Dhearg: B Armstrong, C Lynch (0-01), J Peoples, H Black, C Doran (0-01), L Stone, K Stanley, L McCann (0-01), A Annett (0-01f), C Coleman (0-01), A Fitzsimons (2-01), L Smyth (1-04), R Hanna, L Mullan (1-00), A Clenaghan. Subs: C Clenaghan for A Clenaghan (39), F Baker for L Mullan (39), A McGreevy for R Hanna (46), E Kelly for K Stanley (52), K McKenna for C Coleman (52).
Oisins: M McNaughton, B Mulholland, M McLaughlin, M Black, M Magee, R Black, R McAuley, D McMullan (0-02f), E McNaughton (0-02f), K McLaughlin (0-01), S Black (0-01), S Kerr-McKillop, E Emerson, E Mitchell (0-01), M Graham. Subs: E Grant for B Mulholland (25), K McGregor for M Black (56), N McNaughton for M Graham (56).
Northern Property Antrim LGFA Under 16C Championship Final
Kickhams Creggan 5-7St Mary’s Aghagallon 3-4
By Tiernan Millar
Creggan secured the Ladies U16C Championship with a solid performance over Aghagallon on Tuesday night at Dunsilly, but despite the 9-point victory, they didn’t have it all their own way.
Creggan only had two points to spare after their semi-final encounter with Clan na Gael, but Aghagallon broke the half-century mark as they brushed past Aldergrove a week ago. It was the girls from the north of the loughshore who had the brighter start with Clodagh Maguire registering the first point in the fading light before Aoibh McEldowney added a second, and when Annie Rankin chipped Caoimhe McStravick in the Aghagallon goal, Creggan looked to be cruising to victory.
Aghagallon were penned in for large periods, never managing to get the ball past their own 65 for most of the first ten minutes, and on the rare occasion they did, Niamh Sargent was there to sweep it up. Cassie Doherty added another point for Kickhams to put them 6 points up.
Martha Warwick was outstanding for Agahagallon, and helped her team to their first score as she went on a long run out of the backs before feeding Emma Mallon who slotted over the bar. Warwick could have further reduced the deficiet seconds later with a goal when she was through one-on-one with Shauneen Devlin, but she drilled her shot wide to the right.
Creggan piled on the pressure at the other end when Aoibh McEldowney should have had a goal but misjudged her power at close range and fired over the bar and a second goal came as Clodagh Maguire found Erin Donaghy who danced around the ‘keeper to drive the ball into the back of the Aghagallon net. Maguire dropped a free over the blackspot from about 30 meters out to give Creggan a 10-point lead.
Olivia Jordan grabbed a goal for Aghagallon to reduce the gap to seven and, at the other end, Anna Devlin thwarted Doherty’s attempt on goal to leave the score Creggan 2-5 to Aghagallon 1-1 at the break.
The Aghagallon girls started the second half on a better footing as Chloe Geraghty registered a point from a free but the next period minutes would prove fatal for the south-west girls as Cassie Doherty hit two goals in five minutes to kill the game off as a contest.
Agahgallon’s heads didn’t drop however, and to their credit they continued to battle on. Rose O’Hagan was brought down in front of the Creggan goal and Warwick obliged from the spot. Two minutes later, O’Hagan should have added another goal but blasted over the bar and Geraghty added another point from play for St Mary’s.
Two quickfire Connie Daly goals for Creggan put a bit of shine on the scoreboard and substitute Cadhla McMinn got her name on the scoresheet with a point, but right at the death in a goalmouth scramble at the other end, Ciara Maginnis got herself a conselation goal as Creggan ran out winners with 9 to spare.
Moneyglass completed their group programme unbeaten with a convincing victory over St. Brigid’s and, as was expected, will meet old rivals St. Paul’s in the final on the first of October.
Aine Devlin got the home side off to a great start with a goal in the 2nd minute and points from Cliona Griffin and a couple from Orla Prenter had them in a strong position by the 13th minute with Cliodhna Logan replying with a point for St. Brigid’s in the 7th minute.
St. Ergnat’s continued to extend their lead with points from Alicia Boyd, Ealeanor Mallon and Cathy Carey but a goal from Cliodhna Logan for the visitors in the 27th minute gave the Musgrave Park side a glimmer of hope.
Logan continued to carry the greatest threat for St. Brigid’s and she would add another point just before half time but the final score of the half fell to St. Ergnat’s Orla Prenter to leave her side 1-7 to 1-2 ahead at the break.
St. Brigid’s added to their tally with a pointed free from Aileen McDonnell in the first minute to close the gap to four points but any hopes of a visitors comeback in the second half were soon dismissed and the Musgrave Park girls would add only one more score, a point from Theresa Mallon.
Moneyglass had been under power up to this point but they suddenly sprung into life and the scores came thick and fast with Orla Prenter again to the fore.
Aine Devlin got them on their way and Prenter followed with another before converting three frees on the bounce.
Sarah O’Neill added another in the 12th minute to put the reigning champions 10 ahead and even at this stage it was all over.
Cathy Carey got her name on the score-sheet before Annie Griffin fired home her sides second goal in the 51st minute and Leah Stewart and two more from Prenter in the final quarter put the contest out of sight.
St. Ergnat’s now play St. Paul’s in a final fixture that has become familiar for more than a decade and will start this one as firm favourites but St. Paul’s will not be too concerned about that and will hope to cause an upset against last year’s beaten Ulster club finalists.
Moneyglass: Anna Mccann, Cara McKeefry, Danielle Duffin, Niamh Neeson, Niamh McIntosh , Rebecca Bradley, Cliona Griffin, Sarah O’Neill , Laura McCann, Eleanor Mallon, Bronagh Devlin , Alica Boyd, Aine Devlin, Orlaith Prenter, Cathy Carey
Subs: Danielle Connolly for Alica Boyd, Leah Stewart for Bronagh Devlin, Annie Griffin for Eleanor Mallom, Megan McGlinchey for Aine Devlin, Mia McLarnon for Cara McKeefry
