Galway capture Platinum title in thrilling contest

LGFA All-Ireland U-14 Platinum final

Galway 4-15

Cavan 4-11

(after extra-time)

By Deniese O’Flaherty

Galway won the All-Ireland U14 Platinum Championship title after a pulsating game in Kinnegad that went to extra-time.

The sides were level after the first half of extra-time but a late goal from Ellie Harty O’Brien sealed the win for Galway.

Cavan’s Emma Galligan registered the game’s opening score with a pointed free in the third minute. The sides were level twice in the opening nine minutes. Galway took the lead in the 10th minute through Orna Dunne but three minutes later Cavan were back in front. Doireann Brady’s effort came off the post and Grace Sherlock palmed it to the net.

Dunne and Galligan (free) traded points before Galway got a goal. Niamh Ní Ghionnáin went on a run and fired a shot to the back of the net. Brady drew Cavan level with a neat point in the 25t minute but right before half-time Chloe Flynn fired over a free to give the Connacht side the edge at 1-5 to 1-4. It was all to play for in the second half.

Aoife Rogers had Cavan level in the 36th minute but Galway responded with 1-5 without reply to open up a seven point lead in the 45th minute.

Cavan kept with Galway and a converted penalty from Sarah Crowe in the 55th minute cut the gap to four.

Hannah Sherlock (Cavan) and Allanah Hughes (Galway) were sin-binned in the closing minutes. But the drama didn’t end there. Two frees from Clodagh Kelly and another goal from Crowe had Cavan ahead on 60 minutes.

Right at the end Katie Brogan kicked a free to bring the game to extra-time.

They were still level at the break in extra-time but Galway finished strongly at the end of a pulsating match.

 

Scorers – Galway: O Dunne 0-7 (2fs), E Harty O’Brien 2-1, N Ní Ghionnáin and R Maguire 1-1 each, K Maloney 1-0, K Brogan 0-3 (3fs), C Flynn (f) K Greensmyth 0-1 each.

Cavan: S Crowe 3-1 (2-0pen), G Sherlock 1-0, D Brady 0-3, C Kelly (3fs) 0-3 each, E Galligan (0-2fs), A Rogers, E Phillips 0-1 each.

 

GALWAY: A Mitchell; A Hartigan, C O’Neill, A Glynn; R Conroy, A Hughes, A Kelly; N Ní Ghionnáin, K Brogan; L Murray, K Donnelly Meehan, R Maguire; O Dunne, C Flynn, N Garvey. Subs used: E Fallon, N Miskell, K Greensmyth, G Coyle, K Maloney, Harty O’Brien, K McNulty.

CAVAN: K Lavelle; E Cusack, D McSeain, A Maguire; A McHugo, E O’Sullivan, L Crossan; A Rogers, S Brennan; E O’Reilly, D Brady, E McPhillips; E Galligan, C Kelly, G Sherlock. Subs used: K Curran Doughty, S Crowe, J Morgan, SJ Sherlock, C O’Reilly, M Gilsenan.

Referee: Aaron Clogher (Roscommon).