Unbeaten Fethard end on high
Seasiders defeat Bunclody to capture county crown
FETHARD ST. MOGUE’S 3-7 HWH-BUNCLODY 1-6 FETHARD COMPLETED an unbeaten run to the ladies’ football Junior ‘A’ championship title by beating HWH-Bunclody in Taghmon on Sunday.
The club was only reformed in 2008 but they are now heading up to the second tier after winning all eight championship games this season.
Having overcome Ballygarrett-Réalt na Mara by the minimum in the semi-final, Fethard set about attacking their opponents from the opening whistle. That endeavour paid dividends when their joint-captain Eimear Mullan hit the net to make it 1-0 to nil.
Bunclody didn’t play their best football in the group stages but did shock Horeswood to make the title decider. They soon got a foothold in the contest with Róisín Kelly kicking a couple of points and Kate Hendrick scoring to tie the game.
Fethard, who lost a league game to their final opponents back in June, knew what they were up against and knuckled down to go on a run. Sandra Foley was sharp, kicking four points in a row for her side.
Trailing by 1-4 to 0-3 in windy conditions, Kate Hendrick scored a vital second quarter goal to get her side back into the contest. Traded points by Sinéad Rowe and Shauna Daly ensured just one point separated the sides at the interval (1-5 to 1-4).
Fethard set about building on their advantage after the changearound. Fiona Rowe popped over a dead-ball before substitute Ciara Nolan got in to net the crucial second goal for the seasiders.
Two Shauna Daly scores in a row were all Bunclody had to show for their battling second-half performance, and those points left the score at 2-6 to 1-6 heading into the latter stages of the contest.
When midfielder Eimear Whelan found the net to increase the lead to six points there was no way back for Half Way House. Centrefield partner Fiona Rowe put the finishing touches on victory with the final score.
Fethard will now go on to represent Wexford in the Leinster Junior championship. However, they will be waiting a while for their first fixture, as they play the winners of Meath v. Longford at home on October 2.
Fethard: Kathryn Whelan; Maura Tubrid, Stephanie Foley (joint capt.), Rebecca Foley; Shirley O’Neill, Siobhán Rowe, Gillian Barry; Eimear Whelan (1-0), Fiona Rowe (0-2, 1 free); Róisín Donohoe, Eimear Mullan (joint capt., 1-0), Chloe Waters; Sandra Foley (0-4, 2 frees), Sinéad Rowe (01), Louise Carroll. Subs. - Ciara Nolan (1-0) for Barry, Nóirín McMahon for Donohoe, Katie Kelly for Tubrid, also Stephanie A. Foley, Aoife Roche, Ciara Walsh, Nicola Tubritt, Megan Murphy, Libby Sutton, Mairéad Foley, Leah Molloy.
HWH-Bunclody: Michaela Murphy; Chloe Kenny (joint capt.), Frances Doran, Aisling Dunne; Charlotte Redmond, Lisa O’Neill, Róisín Nolan; Shauna Daly (0-3), Rachel Kelly; Ciara Carroll, Kate Hendrick (1-1), Róisín Kelly (0-2, 1 free); Leanne Kehoe, Maria Carroll (joint capt.), Michaela Farrell. Subs. - Amy Coleman for Dunne, Kate Kirwan for M. Carroll, Britney Conroy for Róisín Kelly, also Becky Kenny, Rebecca Murphy, Leanne Kehoe, Bridget Murphy, Laura Redmond, Chloe Moynihan, Orla Donohoe.
Referee: Kevin Kehoe (Our Lady’s Island).