Kerry have won the ZuCar Ladies All-Ireland U-18 ‘B’ Football Championship Final beating Tyrone in Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore, Offaly.
Kerry 1-12 Tyrone 1-10
(after extra-time)
By Dan Kearney
It was tense, it was tight, and in the end it took extra-time before Kerry claimed the ZuCar All Ireland U18 B championship over Tyrone at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore.
It looked like Kerry had the game in the bag when Leah Griffin scored a fine goal in the 56th minute to put her side five points ahead.
Tyrone showed admirable spirit to fight back though with Hannah Donnelly and Keeva Donnelly pointing, and star forward Érin McGinn hitting the back of the net to bring the game to extra-time.
Owens pointed her sixth free of the contest at the start of overtime but Kerry had the legs and a brace of frees from Sadhbh O’Sullivan and Erin Evans point from play ensured that Kerry captain and player of the match Muireann Teahan would claim the cup.
Kerry played with the aid of a very strong breeze in the first half and raced into 0-5 to 0-0 lead in the first quarter as both sides were guilty of some poor turnovers early doors.
Griffin got her side off the mark in the first minute. From the kickout Tyrone’s Caitlinn McCarron was forced into a fine goal line block from Faye Lynch as Kerry came raiding once more.
Seoladh Flynn pushed the Kingdom 2-0 ahead followed by a brace of Evans frees, before Kelsey Cummins pushed her side 5 to the good.
Then Tyrone came storming into the game and might have had 3 goals but for the excellence of Kerry goalkeeper Caoimhe O’Mahony.
A shot from McGinn in the 20th minute fell short and O’Mahony did well to keep out Dana Coyle’s palmed effort.
Two minutes later and O’Mahony did brilliantly to get a hand to the dangerous McGinn’s effort although Keeva Owens did point the subsequent free from an earlier foul.
Tyrone were enjoying a lot of possession now and Dana Coyle pointed to make it a 3 point contest although O’Mahony was forced to save once more from McGinn with Sibéal Ní Shéaghdha doing brilliantly to clear Hannah Donnelly’s follow up.
The accurate Erin Evans, a sister of Kerry senior Keith, pointed the last two frees of the half and Kerry led by 0-7 to 0-2 at half time.
Kerry pushed 0-9 to 0-4 ahead through Evans (free) and the raiding Jamie Lee O’Connor with the Tyrone reply coming from McGinn and Keeva Owens (free).
Griffin’s goal looked to have sealed things for Kerry but huge credit must go to Tyrone for their stunning fight back with McGinn’s goal the highlight.
Jer O’Sullivan’s side got the scores in extra-time however and claimed a deserved win after an enthralling contest.
Scorers – Kerry: E Evans 0-6 (5f), L Griffin 1-1, S O’Sullivan 0-2f, K Cummins 0-1 J L O’Connor 0-1, S Flynn 0-1.
Tyrone: K Owens 0-7f,E McGinn 1-1, D Coyle 0-1, H Donnelly 0-1.
KERRY: C O’Mahony; R Daly, A Brosnan, S Ní Shéaghdha; J Lee O’Connor, E Dillane, A Doyle; L Griffin, C O’Sullivan; S Flynn, M Teahan (capt.), F Lynch; E Evans, N O’Donoghue, K Cummins. Subs: T O’Sullivan for F Lynch H/T, S O’Sullivan for N O’Donoghue 43, I Wynton for R Daly 51, B Curtin for K Cummins 58, S O’Halloran for S Flynn 60 + 15et, S Heaseman for E Evans 60 +20 et.
TYRONE: R Mullin; C McCarron, E Daly, Z McAnespy; A Leonard, E Kelly, C McCanny; K Owens (capt.), I Grimes; D Coyle, H Donnelly, M Muldoon; L McDonnell, É McGinn, C McMoran. Subs: E Daly for L McDonnell 38, A McCullagh for M Muldoon 51, K Corcoran for I Grimes 56, I Grimes for H Donnelly 60 +5(et), I Grimes for H Donnelly 60 + 4et, E Sweeney for D Coyle 60 + 15 et, S Loughran for Z MxAnespy 60 +15 et.
Referee: Ray McBride (Dublin).
Kerry manager Jer O'Sullivan
Armagh 4-18 Longford 0-9
By Kieran Lynch
An excellent team performance powered Armagh to victory over Longford in the ZuCar All-Ireland U-18 C championship final at St Tiernach's Park, Clones.
Armagh started the game brightly, with Lily McBennett splitting the posts from a free. Minutes later, that was followed up by the score of the day when Caoimhe Gollogly pointed a free from what would be two-point territory at senior level, but just a white flag was raised on this occasion.
At the other end, Longford got up and running after a well-worked move was pointed by captain Zara Drake, and although Armagh forwards McBennett and Alanna O'Neill split their side's next four points evenly, Longford remained within touching distance with scores from Mia Kiernan and Shauna Madden.
Indeed, David Tiernan's team had a chance to go level when Kiernan shot for goal, but her effort was blocked by Orchard full back Mia O'Hara. Instead, Armagh pushed six clear with scores from Gollogly, O'Neill and McBennett.
The Leinster girls pulled the gap back to four with Drake and Orla McGann on target, but on the brink of half-time, Armagh landed a crucial score when Nicole O'Reilly superbly finished into the bottom corner of the net, to put her side 1-9 to 0-5 ahead at the break.
Longford's Madden opened the second half's scoring, but a burst of 2-1 for Armagh in a matter of minutes virtually put the game beyond doubt. First, Jessica McCreesh finished into the far corner of the net, then McBennett added another point before Moya McGrane raised her side's third green flag of the day from close range.
McBennett and Drake then traded scores, before Cassie Henderson – who had a hand in so many of the Armagh scores throughout the day – got her just rewards with a point of her own.
The next four points were split evenly with McBennett and Gollogly finding the target for Armagh, whilst Madden and Lauren Maguire doing likewise at the other end.
With time ticking away, McBennett capped a superb display with three further points, whilst Gollogy knocked over another free. Gollogly then put the icing on the cake with the game's final action, firing home Armagh's fourth goal of the day.
Scorers – Armagh: L McBennett 0-10 (4f), C Gollogly 1-4 (3f), A O'Neill 0-3 (1f), N O'Reilly, J McCreesh, M McGrane 1-0 each, C Henderson 0-1.
Longford: Z Drake, S Madden (2f) 0-3 each, M Kiernan, O McGann, L Maguire 0-1 each.
ARMAGH: L O’Neill; E Melanophy, M O’Hara, C Carnegie; A Hagan, M McGrane, A Lavery (capt.); E Hart, C Henderson; J McCreesh, L McBennett, A Brennan; C Gollogly, A O’Neill, N O’Reilly. Subs: B Carragher for Gollogly (34), Gollogly for McGrane (42), O Campbell for O'Neill (46), S McKeever for Carnegie (46), C McGeary for Brennan (55), J Bann for McCreesh (56).
LONGFORD: S McDermott; A Tiernan, B Reilly, L Killian; E Kearney, O McGann, L Maguire; M Kiernan, A O’Brien; E Feeney, S Madden, Z Drake (capt.); E Dowd, M Lynn, A Mulligan. Subs: S Murphy for Dowd (42), M Campbell for Lynn (47), L Kiernan for Mulligan (58), A Lynch for Feeney (60), L Kenny for Tiernan (60+3).
Referee: Kevin Corcoran (Mayo).
