Match Report St Judes v Na Fianna
- Sep 07,2024
Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior G Club Championship Final
St Judes 1-09 Na Fianna 0-11
By Nigel McCarthy
Two late points deep in injury time, from player of the match Ava Lewis, secured the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior G title for St Judes on Friday evening in St Margarets GAA club.
The large crowd in attendance on what was a sunny autumnal evening, were treated to an enthralling, robust contest with the result very much in the balance until the final whistle.
There was nothing between the sides at the break as they headed to the dressing rooms with the game level and although both St Judes and Na Fianna enjoyed spells of dominance in possession in the second half, a combination of good defending, some misplaced passes in attack and narrow wides insured that the result would go right down to the wire.
St Judes came flying out of the blocks from the throw-in and opened the scoring inside the opening minute with a converted free from Micah Collins.
The sides were level three minutes later thanks to a fine point from the right-hand side from the impressive Briege Mac Oscair.
In the seventh minute St Judes pressured the Na Fianna kick-out, turned the ball over and a shot from Micah Collins dipped just under the crossbar and over the fingertips of Na Fianna goalkeeper Keepa Farrell for the games first and only goal.
The Mobi Road outfit responded to the setback moments later with a point from Michelle Nolan after a goal effort from midfielder Mary O’Connor was blocked. Na Fianna won the resultant kickout and worked the ball down the right, the ball was played inside towards Eimear Ní Chearbhaill who was unlucky to see her palmed effort at goal go narrowly wide.
St Judes were dealt a blow at the end of the first quarter when Leisha Kennedy was forced off with an injury and was replaced by Isabel Kelly.
Na Fianna grabbed the next score after good interplay between Briege Mac Oscair and Eimear Ní Chearbhaill with the latter popping over a nice point. But St Judes finally ended a twelve-minute barren spell with a point from the ever dangerous Ava Lewis.
A point from Na Fianna’s Briege Mac Oscair and a converted free from Niamh Kerr left two between the sides with five minutes to the break. St Judes thought they had extended their lead when captain Aoife Rockett palmed to the net, but after consulting his umpires, referee David Maguire chalked off the goal for a square ball.
In first half injury time points from Briege Mac Oscair from a free and one from open play from Eimear Ní Chearbhaill insured the sides would go in at half time all square with the score 1-03 to 0-06.
The opening exchanges in the second half were dominated by Na Fianna and they took the lead for the first time in game a minute after the resumption with a superb point from Briege Mac Oscair. But the Glasnevin outfit failed to add to their total despite enjoying the bulk of possession for the opening ten second half minutes.
Niamh Kerr drew the sides level in the 40th minute from a free after second half substitute Siobhan McNevin was fouled. Ava Lewis pounced on a loose pass from the Na Fianna defence, slipped the ball to Briege Mac Oscair who split the post to regain the lead for St Judes.
A converted free from Mac Oscair and a nice point from Aoife Rockett, put three between the sides with twelve minutes of normal time left on the clock.
The frantic, robust nature of the game continued relentlessly, Na Fianna enjoyed another possession purple patch and two converted frees from Mac Oscair left the bare minimum between the teams with time running out.
But there was still plenty of drama left, there were numerous stoppages in the second half for injuries which led to a whopping thirteen minutes of injury time added on by the referee and five minutes into that added time another successful free attempt from Mac Oscair tied the scores yet again.
A brilliant sideline strike from St Judes Pam Kavanagh found Ava Lewis deep in the Na Fianna half, the full forward drove towards goal brushing aside attempted tackles and popped the ball over the bar. Seconds later the clinical forward struck over another excellent point to put two between the teams.
Na Fianna pushed hard in the closing stages to drag themselves back into the contest and despite having an extra player after St Judes Holly Murphy was yellow carded late on, a converted free from Mac Oscair was the only score they could secure before time ran out.
ST JUDES SCORERS: Micah Collins 1-01, Niamh Kerr 0-04 (3f), Ava Lewis 0-03, Aoife Rockett 0-01.
NA FIANNA SCORERS: Briege Mac Oscair 0-08 (5f), Eimear Ní Chearbhaill 0-02, Michelle Nolan 0-01.
ST JUDES: Keela Farrell, Shauna Brady, Emily Brady, Kerrie Galvin, Elisa McGowan, Pam Kavanagh, Leisha Kennedy, Hazel Turner, Kellie Donnelly, Jennifer O’Neill, Niamh Kerr, Aoife Rockett (C), Micah Collins, Ava Lewis, Eimear Joyce.
SUBS: Isabel Kelly for Leisha Kennedy (14), Holly Murphy for Shauna Brady (HT), Siobhan McNevin for Eimear Joyce (HT), Maeve Joyce for Holly Murphy (Blood Sub 65), Holly Murphy for Maeve Joyce (73), Maeve Joyce for Siobhan McNevin (77).
NA FIANNA: Meadhbh Larkin, Ailbhe Rogan, Kate Keogh, Ellen Foley, Ailbhe O’Sullivan (C), Áine Meehan, Jane Fitzpatrick, Katie Rock, Mary O’Connor, Siobhán O’Sullivan, Briege Mac Oscair, Michelle Nolan, Méabh Shine, Eimear Ní Chearbhaill Lisa Kelly.
SUBS: Carla Doherty for Jane Fitzpatrick (HT), Jennifer O’Connell for Méabh Shine (40), Nicole Sherry for Siobhán O’Sullivan (47), Sadhb Nic An Iomaire for Nicole Sherry (53).
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Ava Lewis (St Judes)
REFEREE: David Maguire (Thomas Davis)