Dramatic Ballycomoyle win earns back-to-back success

Ballycomoyle 4-7 Shandonagh 3-7

Caoimhe McCormack fired 2-3 for Ballycomoyle as they repeated their success of last season by taking the Wrights Windows Ladies Junior B Football title with a hard-fought and intense battle with Shandonagh in Coralstown-Kinnegad GAA last Sunday evening. With unexpectedly good weather greeting those in attendance, both sides gave their all and with only a kick of a ball separating the teams after seven goals and fourteen points were split, the history books will show very little between these sides. The difference, really, was a combination of McCormack in attack, Sophia Mac Lochlainn in defence, and some accurate passing and shooting from Lauryn Sheridan.

The opening two scores came courtesy of Orlaith Winters and McCormack but only after a sensational foot save from Shandonagh netminder Emma Fry from Caoimhe Ginnell’s strike. Both teams were level when the clock hit double-digits. Katie Conlon used the advantage rule to good effect to open her account before Sophia Webb brought parity at 0-2 each. Emma Fry was the busiest person on the pitch and she executed several further fine saves to keep her goal intact. Both sides made early substitutions, eager to gain an edge on the tactical front.

Pat Webb’s side went ahead for the first time through Laoise Quinn’s first point on twenty minutes. No sooner was the ball kicked back out by Emily Barker than it was in the net the far end. Ginnell, this time, tapping to the net with accuracy to make it 1-2 to 0-3. It was soon 2-2 when McCormack took a pass from Eleanor O’Neill to blast home. Credit to Shandonagh, they kept the battle and the contest alive and were rewarded when Quinn was alive to the kickout before running and slicing to the net. After McCormack added another point, Quinn was rising the tempo and bang on half-time, she levelled the final with a long-range goal: 2-3 each and the crowd upstanding after a tough first half.

Shandonagh went ahead again early in second half after Ellen Foran hit her one and only score of the match. The Ballinea side were still under pressure and needed Sandra McWade and Grace Tynan to put in strong blocks. Sophia Webb and Michelle Lynn then extended the slender lead out to three before the first Ballycomoyle point of the half on 43-minutes from Ginnell from range.

In a game of twists and turns, the next was to come at the Shandonagh small-square when Lauryn Sheridan’s free was touched on via a sky-blue defender before going in at the far post to make it 3-4 to 2-6. Sub Anna Fallon saw her shot saved by Emily Barker before Róisín Brennan missed the chance from the rebound.

The fourth and final Ballycomoyle goal game in the final ten - Sheridan showing her soccer skills to lift the ball before finding McCormack (accidentally or otherwise) before the player of the match fired home despite the array of defenders surrounding her. Ginnell made it 4-5, putting four points between the teams. Quinn added a free but with time nearly up, Sheridan came up trumps again with a lovely free. Incredibly, Quinn took a pass from Brennan before finishing her third of the game to leave two in it. With nerves visible on both sides and in the stands, Shandonagh went in search of a leveller to force extra-time.

Instead, McCormack notched a spectacular point in the fourth minute of added time. There was no late comeback for Shandonagh, but not for the want of trying. For Ballycomoyle, it’s two in-a-row, with plenty of talent on show for them. Jessie Ginnell accepted the Junior B Perpetual Trophy from Chairperson, Geraldine Giles.

Scorers - Ballycomoyle: C McCormack 2-3, C Ginnell 1-2, L Sheridan 1-1 (1f), O Winters 0-1.

Shandonagh: L Quinn 3-2 (1f), S Webb 0-2, M Lynn, E Foran, K Conlon 0-1 each.

Ballycomoyle: Emily Barker; Ciara Keague, Meabh O’Hagan, Jessie Ginnell; Reanna Kennedy, Sophia Mac Lochlainn, Shannon Farrelly; Alva McCabe, Áine Brennan; Orlaith Winters, Caoimhe McCormack, Leah Brady; Caoimhe Ginnell, Lauryn Sheridan, Emma Gilchrist. Subs used: Hannah Boyle for Farrelly (18), Eleanor O’Neill for Brennan (18), Áine Brennan for Brady (46), Chloe Mulcahy for Gilchrist (46).

Shandonagh: Emma Fry; Grace Tynan, Sarah Kelly, Aisling Carey; Aimee Lynch, Anna Geoghegan, Sophie Treanor; Rebecca Maguire, Michelle Lynn; Ellen Foran, Laoise Quinn, Róisín Brennan; Quyén Bartley; Katie Conlon, Sophia Webb. Subs used: Sandra McWade for Lynch (22), Áine Hayden for Conlon (41), Anna Fallon for Bartley (48), Shauna Callaghan for Maguire (inj., 60+2).

Referee: Vinny Cox (Rosemount).