Minor girls lose to Louth
WEXFORD LOUTH 3-13 2-10 WEXFORD SUFFERED their second narrow Leinster ladies’ football Minor championship loss in succession, this time against Louth in St. Fechin’s G.A.A. club on Saturday.
The Slaneysiders lost a tough battle with Longford in the preliminary round but were hoping to bounce back and book a place in the ‘B’ shield final. However, already leading by 3-5 to 1-7 at the break, the hosts scored six unanswered points early in the second-half to put the game beyond Wexford.
The visitors started off on the front foot with Niamh Dunne and Kate Hendrick getting on the scoresheet in the opening quarter. However, danger woman Caragh Brady netted her first of an impres- sive treble in response.
Sarah Figgis soon floated a long-range shot to the net and Ann Marie Bennett added a point to give Wexford a 1-3 to 1-0 lead. Brady responded with a second major but two Hendrick points ensured that the visitors led early in the second quarter.
When Brady netted her third from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute, adding to a couple of Aoife Russell points, Wexford were suddenly behind.
They stayed behind up to halftime (3-5 to 1-7), despite a pair of points from Teghan Furlong and Hendrick.
Six minors in a row, including a pair from Bronagh McArdle and Russell, extended the Louth lead to ten.
To their credit, Wexford continued to fight and hit back when Kate Hendrick fired home the rebound from a missed penalty.
The Slaneysiders added further scores from Cáilín Fitzpatrick and Hendrick as the final quarter wore on, but the purple and gold could get no closer than six, meaning Louth advance to the ‘B’ shield final.
Wexford now go into what, in reality, is an eleventh/twelfth place play-off, otherwise known as the ‘C’ shield final, against a Kilkenny side which gave Wicklow a walkover last weekend.
Wexford: Gráinne McCabe; Analiese Crean, Lauren Kelly, Orla Fortune; Ciara O’Connor, Sadbh McCarthy, Niamh Dunne (0-1); Eimear Whelan, Sarah Harding-Kenny; Fiona Kinsella, Sarah Figgis (1-0), Kate Hendrick (16); Ann Marie Bennett (0-1), Teghan Furlong (0-1), Cáilín Fitzpatrick (0-1). Subs. - Sally Walker, Ciara Kinsella, Eimear O’Shea (all used), also Aideen Byrne, Julia Dempsey, Imogen Fanning, Rachel Scannell, Anna Breen, Rachel Bennett.