St Nathy’s win Ladies Senior final
Connacht Gold Senior Ladies Championship final
REMARKABLY, the finalists in the Ladies senior finals in Sligo since 2005 have been the pairings of Geevagh and St Nathy’s.
In that period, St Nathy’s have won 4 while Geevagh have lifted the cup 9 times and going into Saturday’s final as holders, Seamus McDonagh’s side were hoping to retain the title once more.
St Nathy’s, winners in 2016, were hoping to avenge for last year’s disappointing performance where Geevagh were convincing victors and Kilcoyne Park in Tubbercurry played host to what was a very entertaining game of football.
Despite the heavy rain, both sides put in strong performances and there was only a goal between them for most of the 60 minutes, Geevagh, who were chasing the game in the final minutes, almost snatched it from St Nathy’s in injury time with Sligo captain Noelle Gormley pulling off a fantastic save to deny Geevagh’s Niamh Ryan, while the substitute’s second attempt came off the post as St Nathy’s breathed a sigh of relief and pushed on becoming winners on a 4-point margin.
In comparison to the curtain raiser to this game which saw 6 goals in the intermediate decider, the senior final was decided upon solely on points with both keepers maintaining clean sheets.
It was a special weekend for football in the county, with both the ladies and men’s finals taking place on Saturday and Sunday respectively and the Eastern Harps ladies team of 1993, winners of the first ever Sligo Ladies Senior final 25 years ago, were also introduced at half-time in Kilcoyne Park with manager Christy Gallagher.
Adding to the build up of the game was the young children from nearby Moylough NS whose school band performed the national anthem ahead of the final for the first time in the school’s history and deservedly received a large round of applause.
There was only 35 seconds on the clock when St Nathy’s goalkeeper Noelle Gormley was called into the action, Geevagh on the attack with Sarah Reynolds finding Sinead Mohan with a brilliant flick pass, Mohan seeing her goal chance denied by Gormley.
The first score came from the boot of Geevagh captain Bernice Byrne 3 minutes in as St Nathy’s then began to get more of a foothold on the game.
Down the other end, the hardworking Sinead McTiernan pulled off an excellent block on the attacking Una Cafferkey before St Nathy’s Denise McGrath got her first score of the afternoon with a brilliant point from play on 8 minutes.
The accurate McGrath followed with another point from play a minute later from close range and it was the corner forward who got her side’s third point this time from an acute angle on 11 minutes.
Elaine O’Reilly added a free for Geevagh before St Nathy’s worked up the field with Jane O’Dowd passing to the excellent Hannah Walsh who found Kathleen Coleman, the latter scoring a fantastic point from play on 14 minutes. Geevagh’s Stephanie O’Reilly and Reynolds found Sarah Maxwell who added Geevagh’s 3rd point with a fine score from play on 15 minutes as one point separated the sides midway through the first half.
Walsh saw her attempt sail between the posts from play, McGrath and Roisín Scanlon involved. Geevagh full back Yvonne Frazer was strong in defence for her side, twarthing a number of the St Nathy’s attacks.
Elaine O’Reilly slotted over a free on Nicola O’Reilly before McGrath, who was having a big impact on the game had to depart through injury, she would later return in the second half and once again make her presence felt.
Ciara Gorman replaced McGrath and she too was a huge influence on the game. On 23 minutes, St Nathy’s went 2 in front through Cafferkey with the hard-working captain Ann-Marie Coleman involved in the build-up.
St Nathy’s Tara Doddy who found Carol Coleman saw the latter’s goal chance flash wide before Gorman pointed an excellent score from play to put a goal between the sides as half-time approached.
Elaine O’Reilly and Ann-Marie Coleman traded scores before the break as St Nathy’s led by 8 points to 5 at the interval.
With eight minutes on the clock after the resumption Geevagh had brought it back to a one point game with Stephanie O’Reilly’s attempt bouncing off the post into the arms of Sarah Maxwell who got her second which was followed by another Elaine O’Reilly free to put the scoreline at 8 points to 7 in St Nathy’s favour.
An excellent score from play from Aine Gormley brought St Nathy’s lead to 2 points with 16 minutes remaining before Geevagh had another goal chance this time Reynolds finding Elaine O’Reilly who blasted over as McGrath came back into the fray for the remaining 15 minutes.
Conditions had not improved in this half as players had to contend with the testing weather. St Nathy’s went 2 in front after McGrath made her presence felt with a brilliant point, her fourth, which was followed by another from Carol Coleman as 3 separated them with 4 minutes to go.
An Elaine O’Reilly free brought it back to a 2-point game before Geevagh almost broke St Nathy’s hearts with Elaine O’Reilly finding substitute Niamh Ryan who was denied a heroic goal by the resolute Noelle Gormley in the St Nathy’s goal, the rebound coming off the post on 60 minutes.
Geevagh to their credit kept pressing forward but it was St Nathy’s Aine Gormley who put 4 between them as John O’Hara’s side denied Geevagh their two-ina-row and brought the cup back to south Sligo for the 11th time.
ST NATHY’S: N Gormley, A Brennan, A Doohan, M Connolly, R Scanlon, J O’Dowd, J Creggan, T Doddy, A M Coleman (C), K Coleman, C Coleman, A Gannon, D McGrath, U Cafferkey, H Walsh. Subs used: C Gorman for McGrath (inj 18), A Gormley for Cafferkey (ht), McGrath for Connolly (45), C Lavin for Gannon (56).
Scorers: D McGrath (0-4, 2f), H Walsh (0-2), C Gorman (0-2), A Gormley (0-2), K Coleman (0-1), U Cafferkey (0-1), A M Coleman (0-1).
GEEVAGH: A Sweeney, M Supple, Y Frazer, R Breheny, C Mulvaney, S McTiernan, N Breheny, B Byrne (C), S Reynolds, J Breheny, S O’Reilly, N O’Reilly, S Maxwell, E O’Reilly, S Mohan. Subs used: N Ryan for N O’Reilly (18), L O’Reilly for R Breheny (48), M Davey for Mohan (51).
Scoeres: E O’Reilly (0-6, 4f), S Maxwell (0-2), B Byrne (0-1).
REFEREE: P Normanly (Tourlestrane). INSET: Elaine O’Reilly of Geevagh and St Nathy’s Hannah Walsh. Pic: Tom Callanan.