Lusmagh/Drumcullen 6-10 St Cillians 5-9

Lusmagh/Drumcullen and St Cillians qualified for this final when Lusmagh/Drumcullen eased past Kinnitty and St Cillians pipped Birr in a close encounter in their semi final. 

Martin Walsh was the referee for the match and once he got play underway Nicole Bennett quickly opened the scoring when she hit over for Lusmagh/Drumcullen but St Cillians hit back immediately with a point from Caoimhe O’Donovan.  The teams continued to trade points throughout the first quarter with neither team dominating the scoreboard with Grainne Kennedy hitting a free for Lusmagh/Drumcullen and Caoimhe Ginty replying for her team. 

The outstanding Fianait Dooley, who was a thorn in Kinnitty’s side in their semi final, opened her account with a point before Caoimhe O’Donovan responded for Cillians and Kate Hogan added to this to give St Cillians a one point advantage.  Lusmagh/Drumcullen hit back thanks to a goal from Sorcha Troy.  Soon after however Troy found herself in trouble when she was treated for a knock.  she recovered and hit over an excellent point from a narrow angle but that was to be her last action as she was replaced immediately but it left her team leading by that goal at the water break. 

That lead was soon wiped out once play resumed when Molly Hogan fired home for St Cillians.  Lusmagh/Drumcullen responded well when markswoman Dooley converted a free and added to this with a point from play, but a goal from St Cillians’ Caoimhe O’Donovan put her team in front.  A well taken point from Caoimhe Ginty doubled her team’s lead before O’Donovan added another.  Fianait Dooley was continuing to make a name for herself when she hit over two points but a point from Molly Hogan left St Cillians leading by two at half time. 

What was already an exciting game developed into a goal feast when play resumed.  Lusmagh/Drumcullen’s Sarah Gorman fired the ball to the St Cillians net and within a minute of that a long range free from Grainne Kennedy also ended up in the net for Lusmagh/Drumcullen.  Caoimhe O’Donovan tried to stem the flow when she pointed for St Cillian's but an excellent point from Kennedy restored the Lusmagh/Drumcullen lead.  Then followed a flurry of goals with Moya Kinsella hitting the Cillians net before Caoimhe Ginty replied for her team and her team mate Molly Hogan added another.  Not to be outdone Nicole Bennett fired home for Lusmagh/Drumcullen to leave her team leading by 4 points when Martin Walsh blew for the 2nd half water break and time for everyone to draw breath. 

If anyone thought the goal scoring was finished they were soon corrected when Caoimhe O’Donovan rifled the ball home for Cillians and then added a point to it to level the scores.  With the game in the melting pot and both teams giving their all it was Lusmagh/Drumcullen’s Fianait Dooley who hit the two final scores when she rattled the back of the Cillians net and added a point to seal the victory for her team. 

Afterwards Sean O’Meara awarded the Player of the Match to Fianait Dooley.  Cormac Ginty, Offaly’s Development Officer and also Manager of the team that led Offaly to the Under 16B All Ireland Final complimented both teams on a fantastic spectacle before presenting the cup to Lusmagh/Drumcullen’s captain, Katie Hennessey 

Teams: 

Lusmagh/Drumcullen:  Caoimhe Spain, Laura Mannion, Ellen Gleeson, Blaithinn Dooley, Karla Mannion, Katie Hennessey (Captain), Makayla Murray, Grainne Kennedy, Mary Carroll, Joanne Cushen, Nicole Bennett, Sarah Gorman, Moya Kinsella, Fianait Dooley, Sorcha Troy 

Subs:  Aisling Horan, Chloe Hollywood, Abby Hollywood, Sinead Gleeson 

St Cillians:  Cara Coakley, Anna Hoctor, Aoibhinn Rice (Joint Captain, Sarah Delahunty, Eabha McDowall, Molly Hogan, Sadbh King, Aoife Stokes, Aoife O’Donovan, Leah Smyth, Caoimhe O’Donovan, Aine Kennedy (Joint Captain), Sinead Fallon, Caoimhe Ginty, Kate Hogan 

Subs:  Eabha O’Hare, Laura Kennedy  

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