Na Gaeil crowned All Ireland Champions

Tesco All Ireland Junior Club Final

 

Na Gaeil crush fairy tale ending for Connolly’s

 

Na Gaeil 2-27     Dunedin
Connollys 1-5

 

Na Gaeil of Tralee crushed any thoughts there may have been
of a Fairy-tale ending for Dunedin Connolly’s. To many the surprise of the year
was the emergence of the Scottish club team making it all the way to the All-Ireland
club final but in Crettyard a far superior Na Gaeil ensured that the wait will
continue for a little while longer for the Edinburgh outfit.

From the word go Na Gaeil got into their stride and while
Dunedin were happy to adopt open tactics and did not employ any sweeper systems
Na Gaeil used the open spaces to clinical advantage.

They were 0-8 up inside the first ten minutes with Marie
Quirke, Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh and Sarah Cunningham all finding white flags
with relative ease.

Kate Anne O’Connor got the game’s opening goal after Ref
Mag’s Doherty decided to leave her goal stand after she had been pulled down in
the box. This seemed to knock the confidence further out of the Scottish girls
and the Na Gaeil girls added a further 1-6 to lead 2-14 to 0-0 after only
twenty minutes. The goal this time coming from Emily Brick. Rosanna Heeney
converted a 21M free for Dunedin on the 24^th minute and Dunedin were
up and running. Indeed, they doubled their score a minute later when Anne-Marie
Lenehan pointed. Na Gaeil with a Marie Quirke point ended the first half with
Na Gaeil leading 2-15 to 0-2.

The second half needed to start with, a Dunedin burst but as
is often the case, it is the team in control get all the breaks. Na Gaeil put
on another five unanswered points mostly from frees as Dunedin certainly put up
more of a stubborn resistance. Hannah Donegan pointed for Connolly’s on the 45^th
minute and this spurred on their best spell in the game. Na Gaeil lost Ciara
Murphy to a yellow card and in her absence Caoilfhionn added a goal and a point
but it was all a little academic as the final whistle brought a 9-year wait for
a Kerry club to win an All-Ireland Junior club final.

Riona Ni Chinnedie accepted the cup from LGFA president Pat
Quill who was warm in his praise for the Munster outfit.

In truth Na Gaeil were too strong all over the pitch and
while many felt that Dunedin might well put up a challenge the blistering start
of the Kerry side knocked all that on its head. Sarah Cunningham, Marie Quirke
and Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh contributed a massive 24 points between them.
Ciara Murphy, Brid O’Connor and Riona Ni Chinnede were also outstanding. For
Dunedin, it may well have been a tough day at the office but the display of
Sinead Loftus in goal was certainly noteworthy and she was on hand to make
2-point blank saves in the second half. Sue O’ Sullivan and Rosanna Heeney
battled away throughout and despite the close marking of Caoilfhionn Deeney she
did enough to ask questions at time of the Na Gaeil defence.

Teams:

Na Gaeil

L Fitzgerald, N Moriarty, B O’Connor, M O’Connor, S Roche, R
Ni Chinneide, C Murphy, M Doody, E O’Connor 0-1, M Quirke 0-7, L Ni
Mhuircheartaigh 0-9 (4F), D Kearney, S Cunningham 0-8 (1F), E Brick 1-1, K A
O’Connor 1-1

Subs: S Heaslip
for E O’Connor (38), A Roche for M Doody (52) S Prendergast for N Moriarty (55)
M Barry for D Kearney (57) N Hannifin for S Roche (58)

 

Dunedin Connolly’s

A Loftus, H Keenan, K Mohan, A Roche, A Kavanagh, N
Morrisson, A Hicks, S O’Sullivan, R Heeney 0-1, A M Lenehan 0-1, C Deeney
1-1(0-1F), S O’Connell, C Hannon 0-1, D Shiel, H Donnegan0-1 (0-1F)

Subs: C
O’Driscoil for S O’Connell (11) M Callaghan for A Kavanagh (56) J Pimbert for A
Roche (56) S McWilliams for C O’Driscoil (56)

Ref: Mags Doherty (Wexford)

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