Goals by three in senior C

John the Baptist Community School, Hospital, Co. Limerick 3-06 Mercy Heights Secondary School, Skibereen, Co. Cork 0-13

Games around the Province were lost due to the weather of the past week but the Provincial Post Primary Committee was most grateful and thankful to the Principal and her staff of Ballincollig for accommodating our final.

It was fitting to the venue, the game that was to unfold, as both schools treated the large support to a tremendous sporting skilful game of ladies Gaelic football. Ultimately this game was a contest between John the Baptist ability to score goals and Mercy Heights ability to score points, however the goals were eventually to decide this final.

Mercy Heights were first on the attack having won the throw in and with height advantage the Cork girls, of which they used to their potential had Mairead O Driscoll score a point. In the opening stages Mercy Heights were creating a lot of attacks to go two points to the good through Orla O Sullivan from a free. John the Baptist in a rare down field move saw Maria Byrne slot the ball over the bar to get her school on the score board. The Mercy Heights midfield pairing of Julie McCarthy and Aoife Coughlan had the upper hand of their opponents and John the Baptist were to lose influential wing back Triona O Donnell to injury. However with the moving of Katey Ryan from the corner to fill the void this seemed to stem the tide. Mercy Heights created a lot of chances and had further points from Orla O Sullivan, Mairead O Driscoll and Grainne O Sullivan. The only goal of the first half came in the eighteenth minute when Johns, Aoife Power got on the end of a great move near the left hand sideline and cut inside to score a great left footed shot to the right corner of the net. This goal kept Johns in touch although they still trailed 1-04 to 0-08 at half time.

Mercy Heights began the second half well and Orla O Sullivan pointed two frees but back came johns and Aoife Power kicked a peach of a point from the left wing. Then John the Baptist youthful wing back Emma D Kelly stormed up field played a one two with Nicole Murphy before finding Aoife Power in the corner forward position, Power produced another bit of magic as she took on several defenders and again finished to the net with a blistering drive. She was soon to add a point and the Limerick school were now in the driving seat. Johns combination play yielded a 54th minute penalty and Denise Connolly produced a perfect strike by driving a rocket to the back of Mercy Heights net giving Ciara O Donovan no chance. The drama wasn’t over as Mercy Heights produced a storming finish, stout defending from Hazel Fogarty kept her school in front before Aoife Coughlan’s brilliant drive was magnificently tipped over the bar by John the Baptist keeper Therese Barry and Orla O Sullivans shot went inches over the bar to reduce the deficit to just two points. John the Baptist were hanging on and again Fogarty was vital in defence, but time ran out for the gallant girls from Skibereen and the final whistle signalled the end of their gallant bid.

The game epitomised all that is good in ladies Gaelic football, it was a titanic battle between two fine teams and at the end of the day the ability to score goals proved decisive. John the Baptist go on to represent the Province the first week of April in the All Ireland semi final against Presentation Secondary School Tuam, Co. Galway.

Munster Post Primary Chairman Dan O Mahony presented John the Baptist Captain Joanne McGuire with the Munster senior C trophy and Dan presented John the Baptist centre half back Hazel Fogarty with the Pat the Baker player of the final.

Scorers:
John the Baptist, Aoife Power 2-02, Denise Connolly 1-00 penalty, Maria Byrne, Aisling Russell, Emma D Kelly and Hazel Fogarty 0-01 each
Mercy Heights, Orla O Sullivan 0-06, Mairead O Driscoll 0-03, Grainne O Sullivan, Aoife Coughlan, Orla Crowley, Mihaela Davis 0-01 each

Schools:
John the Baptist
Therese Barry, Katey Ryan, Ann Hogan, Julie Ann Maher, Triona O Donnell, Hazel Fogarty, Emma D Kelly, Mairead Ryan, Joanne McGuire Captain, Maria Byrne, Ady Ryan, Nicole Murphy, Aisling Russell, Denise Connolly, Aoife Power, Irene Leahy, Lauren Carroll, Denise Sheehy, Katey Fogarty, Maria Murphy, Sarah Connolly Emma J Kelly

Mercy Heights
Ciara O Donovan, Grace Collins, Ciara Santry, Joanna Nealon, Emma Stoutt, Shona Coombes, Kate Coombes, Julie McCarthy, Aoife Coughlan, Kayleigh McCarthy, Emma Collins Captain, Grainne O Sullivan, Orla Crowley, Orla O Sullivan, Mairead O Driscoll, Rachel Looney, Aoife Coughlan, Catriona Courtney, Mihela Davis, Alice O Driscoll, Oonagh McCarthy, Grainne McCarthy, Melissa O Driscoll, Sinead Ni Chonaile, Cait O Regan, Michelle Sheehy, Rachel Beamish, Eilish Collins, Lisa Keohane