Foley brings title to town
The leveller came courtesy of a fine run and score from Kehoe, after taking a long Aoife Waters punt forward two minutes before the interval. Clonard/Volunteers enjoyed the first few minutes of the second-half as they built a lead.
Foley got her first point, a contentious one that seemed to hit the crossbar and the upright, and followed it with a fantastic individual goal, slicing in from the left corner and smashing an unstoppable shot high to the St. Martin’s net.
Sarah Byrne’s 30-metre minor made it 2-4 to 0-5 in the 37th minute. However, the Wexford town combo didn’t score again for 22 minutes as St. Martin’s completely dominated territorially.
Yet the scores that advantage demanded didn’t materialise. Bridges tapped over a free after she was fouled in the 43rd minute. Natasha Walsh then made a fine save from lively substitute Becky Hamilton.
Bridges put a goal between the sides with her third point in the 54th minute (2-4 to 0-7). Ellen Barrett, finding herself in an advanced position, chipped a halfchance wide of the left post and St. Martin’s never went close again.
Clonard/Volunteers slowly got some play in their opponents’ half and the result was inevitable. Foley kicked two stunning points in 60 seconds before setting up Butler for the championship clincher in added time. Clonard/Volunteeers will now play the Wicklow winners on September 10.
The day, undoubtedly, belonged to Rebecca Foley, a player the next Wexford manager will need to take a good, long look at in next season’s National League campaign.