St Nathy’s win Senior honours as they defeat old rivals Geevagh
GEEVAGH ST. NATHY’S 1- 11 2- 13 ST. Nathy’s reclaimed the title they last won in 2013 as they defeated old rivals Geevagh in the Connacht Gold Sligo LGFA Senior Championship at Markievicz Park on Saturday afternoon. The South Sligo outit were inspired by the impressive Ciara Gorman, as John O’Hara’s side took victory in a hard fought battle against a Geevagh side going for three in a row. This was always going to be a tight encounter, and many would have backed Nathys for the title given the fact that they had already beaten Geevagh in the league.
Geevagh knew this was going to be a tough evening, but they were willing to fight as they aimed to win the Senior Championship for a third consecutive year. David Gaffney’s side started the better of the two, storming into a 1- 02 to 0- 00 lead with three minutes on the clock.
Thirteen- year- old Jemma Breheny got the scoring started with seconds on the clock, before Elaine O’Reilly was taken down for a penalty on two minutes. O’Reilly herself stepped up and scored, before she added her side’s second point of the afternoon.
Ciara Gorman responded for Nathys, before Breheny restored Geevagh’s five point lead. But Nathy’s were soon on level terms with last year’s champions, when Carol Coleman’s goal was followed up with scores from Etna Flanagan and Kathleen Coleman. The sides exchanged scores through Sinead McTiernan and Ciara Gorman, before Denise McGrath and Gorman took Nathy’s into a two point lead.
Elaine O’Reilly cut the deficit to one point on 26 minutes, but Carol Coleman extended Nathy’s lead once again, before O’Reilly again brought the sides to within a point of one another at the half way mark.
O’Reilly, who performed brilliantly on the day, was a thorn in Nathy’s side and she went on the rampage immediately after the re- start. Her two scores took Geevagh ahead of their opponents three minutes into the half, but Mary Ann O’Kennedy levelled the score before Kathleen Coleman and player of the match Ciara Gorman gave Nathy’s the lead once again with 42 minutes played. Ciara Glynn could very well have netted for Geevagh, but her shot was forced over for a point by Noelle Gormley in the Nathys goal. It would take more than that to beat Gormley, and Geevagh were well aware of this.
Just two points separated the two sides when the game’s turning point arrived. Elaine O’Reilly had a wonderful opportunity to give Geevagh the lead with a goal, but her shot was just inches too high and it smacked the crossbar. Nathy’s were almost spurred on by this, and went straight down the other end to score their own goal through Mary Ann O’Kennedy with 51 minutes on the clock. With a lead of 2- 11 to 1- 09, it would take something special for Geevagh to turn this game around at this late stage, but Nathy’s were refusing to give up, with Ciara Gorman adding their 12th point of the afternoon, before Sinead McTiernan responded for Geevagh, but it was too late. When Denise McGrath hit over in the 64th minute, they knew the game was up.
This was St. Nathy’s turn, and the trophy was theirs again. GEEVAGH: Ashling Sweeney, Maureen Mostyn ( Kirsty Cullen, 54), Sarah Frazer ( Nicola O’Reilly, 60), Rebecca Breheny, Nicole Brehony, Yvonne Frazer, Catherine Mulvanney, Bernice Byrne, Sinead McTiernan, Elaine O’Reilly, Sarah Reynolds, Jemma Breheny, Andrea Lavin ( Nora O’Reilly, 44), Stephanie O’Reilly, Ciara Glynn. ST. NATHY’S: Noelle Gormley, Emma Coleman, Angela Doohan, Martina Keane, Etna Flanagan, Ann- Marie Coleman, Lisa McGrath ( Hannah Walsh, 53), Eithne O’Flaherty, Tara Doddy, Kathleen Coleman ( Ciara Lavin, 59), Carol Coleman, Denise McGrath, Mary Ann O’Kennedy, Ciara Gorman, Eleanor Kennedy ( Laoise McDonagh, 56).