F.C.J. girls foiled in title bid
LORETO (BALBRIGGAN) 4-8, F.C.J. (BUNCLODY)
1-3: After a spirited campaign that took them all the way to the Lidl Post Primary Schools Leinster Junior ladies’ football ‘C’ final, F.C.J. (Bunclody) came up just short against an in-form Loreto (Balbriggan) in Eire Og, Greystones, on Thursday.
The County Wexford school played with the strong breeze in the opening half but were unable to make that advantage count. They had plenty of chances, including good goal opportunities, but they couldn’t make the most of them.
Things looked good in the opening exchanges as Britney Conroy converted an early placed-ball to give F.C.J. the lead. However, an Ali McGuiness point, quickly followed by a Gillian Farrelly goal, gave the Dublin side the fillip they needed against the elements.
One of the stars of last season’s county Under-16 panel, Conroy took matters into her own hands with a quick goal and point to ensure F.C.J. gained a lead into the start of the second quarter.
Things didn’t go so well from there. Maybe it would have been different had Bunclody converted the penalty they were awarded in the 22nd minute, but that save, tied in with a second Farrelly goal, sent Balbriggan in at the break leading by 2-3 to 1-2.
F.C.J. were determined to throw everything at their opponents after the interval and they started the period in determined fashion. With less than a minute on the clock Orla Fitzgerald hit the target to close the deficit to a goal.
However, when the irrepressible Farrelly completed her hat-trick in the 36th minute, there was an inevitability about the result. Ending with a stunning 4-1, the hotshot Loreto attacker’s scoring ability proved to be the big difference between the sides.