McCartan's two-goal blast secures Gourmet Food Parlour HEC Division 1 title for UCD

Gourmet Food Parlour Ladies HEC Division 1 League Final

University College Dublin 3-12
University of Limerick 0-11

By Cóilín Duffy, Ladies HEC PRO

UNIVERSITY Colllege Dublin laid the foundations for this win early on, as they captured a first Gourmet Food Parlour Ladies HEC Division 1 league title since 2007, thanks to a 10-point win over University of Limerick in Stradbally on Wednesday night.

 

Conor Barry’s charges led this contest throughout in a game where they made the perfect start.

 

The Belfield outfit were 1-1 to 0-0 clear after just three minutes, with Leitrim’s Dearbhaile Beirne netting the goal, after an early pointed free from Monaghan’s Caoimhe Mohan.

 

UL captain and Cork star Eimear Scally opened her side’s account with a pointed free after six minutes, but UCD always had the answers.

 

The sides matched each other points for point for most of the opening quarter after this, before two UL scores in a row cut the gap to the minimum at 1-4 to 0-6 on 14 minutes, Scally showing accuracy from placed balls at this stage.

 

UL should have pushed ahead soon after, before UCD keeper Linda Bruggener pulled off a fine save to deny Scally’s goal effort.

 

Less than three minutes later UCD were in for a goal chance of their own at the opposite end, when Beirne was eager to bag her second.

 

However, the Mohill native watched her effort deflected out for a 45′ by UL keeper Caoimhe Moore, and the impressive Mohan was subsequently on target.

 

UCD continued to push hard, with another Mohan score helping to open up a three-point gap on 19 minutes.

 

UCD once again looked goal hungry, and following an excellent solo run by Galway’s Áine McDonagh, the ball came to Mohan who watched her effort be blocked by Moore in the UL goalmouth.

 

Good defending by both sides was the order of the closing stages of the half, although UCD did manage to sneak through for a second goal.

 

Westmeath’s Lucy McCartan sent a wonder effort to the net from 30 metres, and following another Mohan score, the gap stood at seven points.

 

However, UL rallied with the last score of the half, Mayo’s Shauna Howley on target; but UCD took a deserved 2-7 to 0-7 interval lead.

 

UCD knocked UL for six early on the restart, firing 1-3 inside 12 and a half minutes, with McCartan getting in for her second goal, after good work by fellow goal-scorer Beirne in the build-up.

 

UL’s first score of the second half came in the 49th minute from Louise Ward, who featured despite losing an All-Ireland semi-final with Kilkerrin-Clonberne last weekend.

 

Indeed UL fired four unanswered points, but UCD closed out this game, with a fine score from Cuala’s Martha Byrne; and Áine McDonagh rounding off a resounding victory in the fifth minute of injury-time, before the full-time whistle sounded from Kevin Phelan to confirm UCD as Gourmet Food Parlour Division 1 Ladies HEC Champions for 2018.

 

After the game, Lucy McCartan received the Gourmet Food Parlour Player of the Match Award; while UCD captain Molly Lamb accepted the Cup from Ladies HEC Chairman Donal Barry.

 

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN: Linda Bruggener (Kerry); Kate Maher (Kerry), Kate McGrath (Waterford), Roisin Flynn (Mayo); Niamh Carr (Donegal), Niamh Collins (Dublin), Martha Byrne (Dublin); Molly Lamb (Dublin), Tarah O’Sullivan (Dublin); Lucy McCartan (Westmeath), Catherine Dolan (Cavan), Áine McDonagh (Galway); Dearbhaile Beirne (Leitrim), Caoimhe Mohan (Monaghan), Kelly Boyce Jordan (Westmeath). Subs: Andrea Murphy (Kerry) for Boyce Jordan (55)o; Chloe Foxe (Wexford) for Mohan (59).

 

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: Caoimhe Moore (Cork); Laoise Coughlan (Kerry), Laurie Ryan (Clare), Mary Cotter (Laois); Shauna Molloy (Galway), Anna Healy (Laois), Joanne Cregg (Roscommon); Caoimhe McGrath (Waterford) Fiona McHale (Mayo); Emma Needham (Mayo), Louise Ward (Galway) Shauna Howley (Mayo); Fiadhna Tagney (Kerry), Eimear Scally (Cork), Hannah O’Donoghue (Kerry). Subs: Roisin Ambrose (Limerick) for Tagney; Cora Maher (Tipperary) for Cotter; Grace Kelly (Mayo) for Needham; Lynsey Noone for O’Donoghue; Elaine Fitzpatrick for Healy.

 

REFEREE: Kevin Phelan (Laois)