Annaghdown claim TESCO Connacht JFC

Galway’s, Annaghdown, collected the Connacht Junior All Ireland Title at a blustery Elvery’s McHale park in Castlebar thanks to a powerful second half display that saw them overcome St. Farnan’s on a difficult day for football.

 

 

ANNAGHDOWN                               1-9

ST. FARNAN’S                    0-6

 

By JASON BYRNE

 

IT wasn’t pretty or entirely comfortable, but superior quality simply got Annaghdown over the line in their Tesco Ladies Junior Connacht club football showpiece against St. Farnan’s of Sligo in miserable conditions at Elvery’s McHale Park in Castlebar on Sunday.

 

Annaghdown took a while to get going and despite enjoying much of the ball, they failed to convert their possession into scores and kicked five wides in the opening ten minutes alone.

 

In the meantime St. Farnan’s went three points to no-score ahead thanks to their clinical corner-forward Elaine Cawley who notched all three.

 

After fourteen minutes Annaghdown still hadn’t scored and missed a glorious goal chance when Martha Goaley raced through and squared for Grainne Barrett but she failed to make contact and the danger was cleared.

 

Two minutes later Annaghdown finally got off the mark thanks to Nicola Burke, and at the other end their blushes were spared when Leanne Dunne played Aisling Molloy in for St. Farnan’s and she found the net but the goal was ruled out for a foul in the build-up.

 

It was a huge let-off for Annaghdown who went on the attack immediately resulting in Barrett’s opening score but St. Farnan’s kept fighting and answered with two of their own through Emer McHugh and Sinead Kilgallon.

 

On the stroke of half time, Annaghdown centre-back Niamh Duggan raced forward with the ball and showed her shooting accuracy when on duty in Galway’s forward line by somehow finding the bottom corner of the net from distance to fling her side 1-3 to 0-5 ahead at half time.

St. Farnan’s simply could not gain a foothold after the restart fighting the strong wind, epitomised by the fact they only managed a single point for the rest of the game.

 

The conditions were playing havoc but Annaghdown battled on to get four points in the opening eighteen minutes of a very scrappy and muddy second half – thanks to scores from skipper Theresa Fahy, Goaley and two more from Barrett.

 

Cawley was undoubtedly St. Farnan’s best player and she kicked their only score of the half with ten minutes to go, but at this stage Annaghdown were well in control despite the elements scuppering any chances of a decent game of football.

 

Duggan’s free and a late Goaley point was enough to bring the Junior provincial title to north Galway, as Annaghdown will be hoping to emulate the feat of Caltra Cuans two years ago and go all the way.  

 

ST FARNAN’S: F Mulligan; V Dunleavy (C Cawley 20mins), V Mulligan, C Hannon; L Morrison, J Mulligan, G Reynolds; C Kearins, G Ruane; A Molloy, E McHugh (0-1), L Dunne; E Cawley (0-4) (A Dunne 56mins), I McNulty, S Kilgannon (0-1). 

 

ANNAGHDOWN: C Burke-Coen; A Meehan, M Murray, A Burke; J Burke, N Duggan (1-1, 1 free), O Scully; C Crowe, N Burke (0-1); N Comer, T Fahy (0-1), A Scully; M Goaley (0-3), G Barrett (0-3), A Lawless.

 

REFEREE: M Kenny (Mayo)