Milltown power their way to another championship final

Milltown 1-14 St Mary's Rochfortbridge 1-9

In a tight and competitive match, Milltown fought back from behind to overcome St Mary’s Rochfortbridge at a windy and drizzly Shandonagh on Sunday afternoon to claim their place in another LGFA Senior Championship final.

After St Loman’s got the better of The Downs the previous day, both teams fought hard, but Milltown made better use of a gusty wind to secure a five-point win, setting up a meeting with the Mullingar side in the county final. While the Rochfortbridge girls had a slender lead at the break, Milltown emerged as the superior outfit over the hour.

St Mary’s had the wind behind them in the first half and could have had a goal three minutes in, but Catriona Byrne’s shot was blocked for a 45. Two minutes later, Megan Brick opened the scoring with a free for the Rochfortbridge side, while Sarah Dillon pointed twice within the next minute for Milltown, thanks to great work by Kelly Boyce Jordan for the first, and Tracey Dillon for the second. In the seventh minute, St Mary’s struck for their goal; Megan Brick found Kacey Geoghegan with a sweet pass before Catriona Byrne forced the trickling ball over the goal-line, giving Rochfortbridge a two-point lead.

They extended their lead by the 12th minute, as Ava Balfe found Catriona Byrne to score, while Michaela Brady found Sarah Dillon, extending the lead to four. Milltown responded with four points, starting in the 22nd minute with Leanna Slevin’s free. Clodagh Dillon assisted Sarah Dillon on the run, Kate Whyte scored after good teamwork with Sarah Dillon, and Kelly Boyce Jordan’s point from a stampeding run levelled the sides. Aoife Brady then found Niamh McDermott to point for St Mary’s, leaving the Rochfortbridge side 1-4 to 0-6 ahead at the break.

St Mary’s started better and extended their grip to three by the sixth minute when Megan Brick’s free and Michaela Brady’s point from a Nicola Judge pass hit the target. After that, Milltown outscored their opponents 1-8 to 0-1 by full-time. Leanna Slevin kept Milltown afloat with her frees, while Sarah Dillon was devastating from play. Orlaith Sheerin and Kate Whyte also converted, while Kacey Geoghegan was the lone scorer for St Mary’s.

One minute from the end, after Dawn Wallace initially saved from Kate Whyte, Sarah Dillon collected the rebound and lobbed the ‘keeper. Her teammate Gráinne Byrne touched the ball into the net. Megan Brick’s brace at the end, one from play and the other from a free, wasn’t enough for St Mary’s, and Milltown could celebrate.

Milltown scorers: Sarah Dillon 0-7, Gráinne Byrne 1-0, Leanne Slevin 0-3 (0-3 frees), Kate Whyte 0-2, Kelly Boyce Jordan, Orlaith Sheerin 0-1 each.

St Mary’s Rochfortbridge scorers: Catriona Byrne 1-1, Megan Brick 0-4 (0-3 frees), Niamh McDermott, Kacey Geoghegan, Michaela Brady, Nicola Judge 0-1 each.

Milltown: Karen Walsh; Louise Kiernan, Aoife Kenny, Emma Ballesty; Emma Murtagh, Kelly Boyce Jordan, Rachel Dillon; Leanne Slevin, Tracey Dillon; Orlaith Sheerin, Gráinne Byrne, Nicole Feery; Clodagh Dillon, Kate Whyte, Sarah Dillon. Substitutes: Bronagh Beglan for Emma Ballesty (38), Katie Gilligan for Clodagh Dillon (50).

St Mary’s Rochfortbridge: Dawn Wallace; Rebecca Nolan, Aoife Moran, Lisa Flanagan; Becky Scally, Fiona Coyle, Ayesha Roche; Niamh McDermott (sin-bin 32-42), Aoife Brady; Kacey Geoghegan, Megan Brick, Michaela Brady; Ava Balfe, Catriona Dunne, Nicola Judge. Substitutes: Lucy Brogan for Lisa Flanagan (28), Emma Collins for Nicola Judge (47), Elizabeth Carey for Michaela Brady (60).

Referee: Jim Rock (Coralstown/Kinnegad).