WALTERSTOWN 2-12 MOYNALVEY 0-6

For the first time in 18 years Walterstown are the Meath LGFA Junior A champions. And deservedly so after their performance in Sunday’s decider in Simonstown Gaels. 

Their second half showing, a half where they outscored their opponents 2-5 to 0-2, ensured glory for the Blacks and inflicted a second championship final defeat on Moynalvey in as many years. 

Walterstown, under the tutelage of Joey Farrelly, suffered heartbreak in the Masita Cup final and the league final early this year but this young team were intent on ensuring they didn’t have to swallow the taste of defeat on the big day yet again. Following a stunning semi final performance against Clann na nGael, they were able to keep that momentum going through to Sunday’s final and although the first half was a tentative affair, they absolutely blitzed hapless Moynalvey in the second. A goal from player of the match Leticia Sheridan-Serry, seven minutes in to the second half, was the score that saw the Blacks pull away. At that juncture just two points serrated the sides (0-8 to 0-6) but when the former Cavan minor star hit the net, Walterstown went five up and pulled away thereafter. 

The Blacks went in to this encounter without the services of Niamh McGuinness Óg, who suffered a hamstring injury in that aforementioned semi final but in to the team came old Niamh McGuinness, as she is known in the black country, and she gave a super display at wing back. 

Indeed, defensively, the Blacks played a blinder, particularly in that second half. 

In the middle of the field Ella Farrelly and Izzy O’Connor ran the show, with the latter being simply outstanding, as she has been all year. With new Meath boss Shane McCormack in attendance, there can be little doubt that O’Connor will be in his plans for 2024. 

In attack, the Blacks’ top scorer Lisa O’Neill was on fire, while county minor star Sarah-Jane Lyons haunted the Moynalvey rearguard, just the same way as Sheridan-Seery did. 

The opening half may have been tentative but Moynalvey weren’t all that shy in attack. Indeed they created enough chances in the first 30 minutes to perhaps have put Walterstown to bed but failed to take most of them. 

At the other end, the Blacks weren’t so hesitant in front of the posts. Lisa O’Neill took full advantage of indiscipline from the Moynalvey defence when she opened the scoring from a free after SJ Lyons was impeded. That score came in the first minute of the game and it gave Walterstown a lead that they never let go of thereafter. 

Superb build up play led to the Blacks’ second point of the afternoon from Sheridan-Seery, while Jennifer Lynch tagged one soon after and Walterstown led 0-3 to no score after six minutes. 

Moynalvey opened their account a minute later thanks to a point from Jennifer McLoughlin, who was quite the live wire in their forward line. 

In defence Moynalvey were made to pay for ill-judged tackles and it was Lisa O’Neill who punished them in the eighth minute when she converted a free in front of the posts after Sheridan-Seery was fouled. 

Moynalvey should have had a goal on the board by the midway point of the half when the sliced open the Blacks through the middle via Aoife Weston and McLoughlin but remarkably Louise Donoghue’s rasping shot rattled the post. 

Scores were hard to come by for both teams in the opening half and Walterstown had to wait fifteen minutes to register a fifth point. It came from a free in the middle of the field from O’Connor, following a foul on Ella Farrelly. O’Connor’s free picked out Sarah-Jane Lyons and her quick pass located Sheridan-Seery. However, her shot was blocked and it was Kate McCarthy who reacted the quickest, gathered possession and fired between the posts and gave her side a 0-5 to 0-2 lead. 

The sides swapped points before the interlude with Sheridan-Seery and O’Neill (free) raising white flags for Walterstown, while a brace from Louise Donoghue left the score at 0-7 to 0-4 at the break. 

And then bang! Out came a different kind of Walterstown animal for the concluding half. Unstoppable really and no doubt buoyed on by the enormous support behind them. And while Moynalvey, via Rachel Garrett and Jennifer McLoughlin raised early white flags, they failed to score after the 34th minute.

The Blacks didn’t have any issues in the scoring department. Jennifer Lynch opened their second half account with a point just two minutes in and then came the aforementioned goal. It might have come from Leticia Sheridan-Seery but it wouldn’t have come at all had it not been for Sarah-Jane Lyons. Her tenacity in dispossessing a Moynalvey defender coming out with the ball was just brilliant and when she off-loaded to Sheridan-Seery and she cooly slotted the ball in to the right hand corner of the net to give her side a 1-8 to 0-5 lead and effectively turned the lights out on Moynalvey, 

By the 49th minute they had tagged on two further points to lead by eight, while a brace from O’Neill, one from a free, on 55 and 56 minutes had Walterstown firmly in the driving seat. 

The icing on the cake came four minutes in to injury time when 15-year-old Áine Downes rattled the net and cue the celebrations! 

Commuting to training from college in London was certainly worth it for the Blacks’ captain Mollie Browne. She led by example all year and particularly on Sunday when she gave an exhibition at centre back and then collected the most coveted prize on behalf of her team and her club. And on the Blacks march to the Leinster Junior Championship. 

SCORERS: WALTERSTOWN: Lisa O’Neil 0-7 (6f), Leticia Sheridan-Seery 1-2, Áine Downes 1-0, Jennifer Lynch 0-2, Kate McCarthy 0-1.

MOYNALVEY: Jennifer McLoughlin 0-3 (1f), Louise Donoghue 0-2 (1f), Rachel Garrett 0-1. 

WALTERSTOWN: Meabh McCarrick; Antonie Brady, Sophia Gillhooly, Rosie O’Neill; Niamh McGuinness, Mollie Browne, Zoe Harte; Isabel O’Connor, Ellla Farrelly; Leticia Sheridan-Seery, Sarah-Jane Lyons, Lucy Reynolds; Jennifer Lynch, Kate McCarthy, Lisa O’Neill. SUBS: Edel O’Leary replaced S Gillhooly 35 mins, Julie Donnellan replaced J Lynch 41 mins, Abbie Farrelly replaced SJ Lyons 61 mins, Áine Downes replaced L O’Neill 61 mins, Aisling Kelly replaced L Reynolds 63 mins.

MOYNALVEY: Aoibheann Corcoran; Mairead McCabe, Abbie Killalea, Bridgie Brennan; Stephanie Walsh, Aideen Smith, Aoife Weston; Clodagh Murphy, Cheyenne O’Brien; Rachel Garrett (0-1), Louise Donoghue (0-2, 1f), Olivia O’Halloran; Fia O’Brien, Jennifer McLoughlin, Roisin Murphy. SUBS: Ashling McLoughlin replaced R. Murphy, Ciara Mallee replaced S Walsh.

REFEREE: John O’Brien

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