A very strong finish by Moortown was the difference in this agonising one-point defeat, by 3-9 to 2-13, for Kildress Ladies in today’s thoroughly enjoyable Murphy’s Gaelic Gloves Junior Championship Final in the spectacular home of Galbally Pearses.
Kildress did enough to win this one and will rue not making more of a third quarter that they dominated. However, Moortown rose to do what they needed to do in the final quarter, winning it by 2-3 to 0-3 and edging through to that one-point win.
The St Malachy’s made the early running but Ann-Marie Lennon’s first goal saw Kildress lead by 1-3 to 0-5 at the first water break. Things were level, 2-4 to 0-10, at half-time after a well-contested 30 minutes of good football. One outstanding feature was Moortown’s accuracy, as they had their 10 points scored before they registered their first wide at the very end of the half.
The third quarter belonged to The Tones and they held Moortown scoreless, but they themselves should have added more than the 1-2 they did get. On the re-start, Moortown’s first goal really made it ‘game on’ and whilst Kildress refused to falter and were pressing hard at the death, they just ran out of time in trying valiantly to respond to what proved to be a second, killer goal.
Gerald Trainor was an excellent referee.
The Tones now move on to their upcoming League semi-Final and congratulate Moortown on their win.
Kildress: Caoimhe Gilmore | Donna Hagan, Cathy Connolly, Katie Rose Muldoon | Rachel McKenna, Aoife O’Connor, Natacha O’Neill | Annie McKenna, Emma McKernan | Eimear McGarrity (1-0), Stacy Boone, Eilis Keenan (0-1) | Chloe Tracey (0-6), Shannon Crilly (0-1), Ann-Marie Lennon (2-0) | Antaine McNamee, Sinead Daly (0-1), Eimear McAleer, Nicole Keenan, Anna Lennon, Cara Loughran, Maeve Conway, Caitlin Murphy, Lanaoise Lagan, Leah McCrory, Rebekah McCaughey, Marie Daly, Ellen McGurk, Bronagh McAleer, Emma O’Kane, Aisling Hagan, Emma Gillen, Mairead Rafferty, Alanna McNamee, Niamh Brannigan, Charleen Quinn, Donna Mullin, Caitlin Murphy, Sinead Slane, Shannon O’Connor
