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Ballyboden St Endas 4-14

St Margarets 2-9

Minor Division One Championship final

A blistering second half performance saw Ballyboden St Endas claim the Minor Division One championship title as they over-turned a half-time deficit to put paid to hopes of a breakthrough St Margarets victory on a cold, still night in Newcastle.

They were limited to just an Emma Colgan goal in the second period as a run of three goals between the 42^nd and 47^th minute turned the game completely the Firhouse Road clubs way.

It was a game played at a ferocious pace throughout, St Margarets hassling and harrying a feature of the first half while Bodens pace and swift hand-passing made for a titanic tussle.

At times, Maggies over-stepped the mark which saw them give up five frees to the dead-eyed accuracy of Sarah OBrien prior to the break.

Kate Dwyer, though, was proving a real handful in the right-corner, opening her sides account with a very good point on the turn.

And her dynamism helped her side build a 0-4 to 0-1 lead, using her power and exceptionally light feet to swivel her marker on numerous occasions.

Boden had plenty of aces in their deck, too, as Ciara Ruddy incredible speed from midfield and OBriens immaculate radar kept it close and they hit the front for the first time in 13^th minute.

Ruddy created the space before off-loading to Maria McGrath who drilled home despite a brave hand at full stretch from Susanna Geoghegan.

In combination with OBriens six points in the first half, five from frees, it saw Boden nudge ahead to 1-6 to 0-7 before Dwyer netted to retake the lead for the Balreesk club.

Rachel Dwyers ball was a speculative one down the right touch-line but Kate Dwyer did well to initially to get ahead of her marker and turn in an instant.

Still 25 metres out, she hared in on goal and bashed home. With Kate Hurley also weighing in with three finely taken points and some powerful displays from Dublin senior B player Megan McKeown and U-14 goalkeeper Shauna OHara - playing out the field - Margarets looked in great shape, leading 1-9 to 1-7 at the interval.

But Ballyboden were to dominate the second half from the off. Claire King and Michelle OReilly were superb in marshalling Kate Dwyer and Hurley in a rejigged full-back line, keeping the previously unstoppable duo scoreless after the turnaround.

OBrien continued where she had left off while the buzzing Maria McGrath and Megan Carney found more room to manouvere.

They helped strike 3-4 without response to break the game. Carney with a fine effort, cutting in from the right to fire into the bottom left corner. Suzanne Campbell was instrumental in the next major four minutes later, popping to Sinead Crowley - previously deployed as a corner-back - who took advantage of her more advanced role.

She netted a second time as Ruddy played in Cathy ONeill who found Crowley again for a 4-10 to 1-9 lead.

Emma Colgans stunning solo goal offered a brief lifeline with six minutes to go but four more Boden points garnered a richly celebrated victory.

For Maggies, they will look to next year with just two of the panel moving out of the age group.

Ballyboden St Endas: Alice Gillen, Grainne Archibold, Claire King, Michelle OReilly, Sinead Crowley (2-0), Jenny Ward, Tracy Kennedy, Ciara Ruddy (0-1), Anna Stafford (0-1), Sarah Burns, Elaine McGrath, Sarah OBrien (0-8, 0-5 frees), Megan Carney (1-1), Maria McGrath (1-3), Cathy ONeill

Subs: Orla Keane, Cliona OSullivan, Niamh McMahon, Maeve Scully, Nicole Basquel, Emer Duffy, Ciara Kennedy, Doireann Mullaney, Aoife OBrien, Katie Murphy

St Margarets: Susanna Geoghegan, Aine Donoghue, Megan McKeown, Kate Rooney, Louise Pope, Rachel Dwyer, Emma Colgan (1-1), Muireann ni Scannail (0-1, free), Lorna Colgan, Shauna OHara (0-1), Suzanne Campbell, Megan Kiely, Kate Dwyer (1-3), Jessica Manning, Kate Hurley (0-3, 0-1 free)

Subs: Ciara Lawless (for Kiely); Annalise Barry (for Manning); Chloe Lawless (for Pope)

Stephen Findlater

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St Brigids 10-12

Castleknock 3-5

Minor Division Two Championship final

Aoibheann Lynchs unstoppable first half show saw St Brigids claim the minor division two championship final against an under-cooked Castleknock in Newcastle last Friday night.

The Russell Park side were irresistible prior to the break, running in nine goals, as their local rivals belatedly found form but were left with too much to do.

The nature of the competition had seen Castleknock receive a bye to the final and the lack of match practice might have cost them against an assured opponent.

Nonetheless, they had the first sight of goal Nicola Fagan and Hannah Hanlon exchanged quick passes to see the latter through on goal.

She was just denied by the legs of Amy Mahony while the rebound skimmed wide. Brigids skipper Aisling King opened the scoring with a fine point before opposite number Jessica Comerford levelled matters in the sixth minute off the back of Orla Boyles run.

But from there on, it was all red and white as Niamh ONeill started the goal-rush, latching on to Sarah Hawkshaws raking pass.

King added a second in the ninth minute before Sinead OFarrelly made it 3-1 to 0-1 in the 12^th minute as Lynch made the initial incision before Hawkshaw took the ball on and set up the half-forward to score.

Comerfords free pulled one back but Brigids kept pounding away despite the best efforts of Amy Doyle as Siobahn Cahill and Lynchs quartet of goals advanced the lead to 9-6 to 0-2 at the half-time break.

The level of dominance might have had a dispiriting effect but Castleknock came out fighting in the second half and they took some solace in winning the second half.

It looked like the tie might have panned out in similar fashion when Ciara Hayes made it ten goals 90 seconds after the break but it was the last major they would concede.

Comerfords lively presence up front yielded a goal eight minutes after the break from the outside of her right boot and she also went close moments later.

Stephanie Troy did put in a fine showing for Brigids from the bench to keep the scoreboard ticking along with four points.

But Castleknock showed some semblance of form as Comerford completed an excellent team goal and Hannah Hanlon netted from Boyles pass to register her sides third goal in the 46^th minute.

Further points reduced the margin but this was St Brigids night following a rip-roaring campaign which augurs well for a potential division one run next season with just four of the extended panel moving out of the grade.

St Brigids: Katie Nyhan, Susan Parnell, Emma Moore, Danielle Scullion, Amy Sheerin, Olivia Smartt, Sophie Freeman, Aisling King (capt, 1-2, 0-1 free), Sarah Hawkshaw (0-1), Sinead OFarrelly (1-1 free), Helen Sweeney, Ciara Hayes (1-1), Aoibheann Lynch (4-1), Siobhan Cahill (2-1), Niamh ONeill (1-1)

Subs: Amy Farrell, Anne-Marie Troy, Stephanie Troy (0-4), Sofia Martin

Castleknock: Amy Mahony, Christina Meagher, Edel Eglington, Amy Doyle, Mary Waters, Sinead Comerford, Anna Cunniffe, Orla Boyle, Aisling ODonnell (0-1), Maeve Heelin, Nicole Murphy (0-1), Nicola Fagan, Jessica Comerford (capt, 2-2, 0-1 free), Amy OShea, Hannah Hanlon (1-1)

Subs: Orla Higgins, Michelle Power, Kelly Saunders

Stephen Findlater

Freelance Journalist