Foxrock Cabinteely retain Div 1 Feile Title
- Apr 15,2013
Division One
Foxrock Cabinteely 2-4
Ballinteer St John's 1-4
After extra-time
Doireann Shaffrey's sublime extra time free ultimately proved the difference for Foxrock Cabinteely as they retained the Emma Jones Memorial Cup in Lawless Memorial Park on finals day of the EVERBuild Dublin Ladies Gaelic Football Feile.
Her goal gave her side the ascendancy in the first half of time added on after a see-saw normal time had ended at 1-3 each.
It pushed her side four points clear and while Ballinteer St John's fought back in the closing ten minutes, they could found their south Dublin rivals' defence in rude health despite a tiring, action-packed weekend.
The wind played a huge factor on the day, a strong breeze gusting from the clubhouse end of the ground with all bar one score coming at the scoreboard end.
Ballinteer amassed 1-2 without response in the first half as they set about using the conditions to their advantage. Siobhra Andrews gave notice of their intent as they settled quicker, forcing a brave blockdown to deny her effort at the left post.
Michelle Carey and her sister Niamh were to the fore with rampaging runs throughout and the former duly put her side on the board with a pair of frees before Isobel Colleran arrowed a sublime goal into the top left corner from the right of goal.
At the turn, Foxrock had a deficit of five to make up and that became six when Sadhbh Nic Uileagoid hopped a point off the crossbar and over early in the second half.
But with the experience of seven returnees from the 2012 winning vintage, the Foxes kept calm and worked their way back into the game in enthralling fashion.
Shaffrey started the comeback with a point from a free, her side's first score in the 20th minute. A marauding run and point from Siofra O'Brien added more fuel to the fire while Roisin McGovern's dropping ball from distance found the net to make it a one-point game as Shanie Ekwe made a big impact from the bench.
Ballinteer were defending superbly but they still had five minutes to see out and they were pegged back to level terms very late on as Shaffrey snagged her second free.
That meant extra-time and, using the wind to their advantage once again, Foxrock carried the tempo through as Jodi Egan clipped over point. Shaffrey's free then caught the win to elude the Ballinteer defence and land in the net for the key score.
In reply, Michelle Carey drew the save of the day from the impressive Jessica Whelan as Ballinteer attempted to make up the difference while Freya Nathan did likewise at the far end to keep out Caitlin Sherin and McGovern.
Foxrock, though, held tight when faced with the wind, giving up just one point in the second half of extra-time to claim yet another Feile title in thrilling style.
Foxrock Cabinteely: J Whelan, A Byrne, R Clarke, J Connolly, S Currivan, E Dawson, J Egan (0-1), S Ekwe, E Fitzgerald, C Hamill, C Healy, E Hughes, E Langan, R Mahon, M McGovern, R McGovern (1-0) S Merrigan, K Minihan, E Murphy, S O'Brien (0-1), E Reidy, D Shaffrey (1-2), C Sherin, A Whelan
Ballinteer St John's: F Nathan, S-M Andrews, S Andrews, N Bennett, M Carey (0-3), N Carey, I Colleran (1-0), I Cullen, A Dunne, A Farrell, K Fearon, E Fitzgerald, S Fitzsimons, L Hayes, N Irwin, L Joye, E Keenan, G McLoughlin, S Nic Uileagoid (0-1), A O'Connor, L Tracy, C Walsh, C White
Referee: Laura Bourke (Castleknock)