Gers through

COOLEY will face Geraldines in the SFC decider on Friday October 12. The Haggardstown side have qualified for their first ever final as a result of a hugely impressive 3-14 to 0-6 win over 2015 champions Newtown Blues.

saw red following an incident with Claire Donnelly.

Cooley themselves then had defender Lisa McCarragher sent to the sin-bin shortly after but points from Boyle and Rice brought the team’s level 1.5 to 0.8 in the 45th minute.

Two further points from the talented Niamh Rice looked to have ensured the north Louth side a place in the decider but the introduction of Grainne Mackin signaled a period of sustained pressure on the Cooley backline.

Referee Brian Brady allowed five minutes of additional time in which Mochta’s drove at Cooley and they did create a couple of chances but Byrne and Leah Farrell saw their efforts fall agonisingly short from frees.

In one of their last forays Patsi McGuinness their captain last time they won the title five years ago made a wonderful interception enabling Cooley to break forward at pace with the final pass reaching the excellent Niamh Rice who sent over in brilliant fashion to finally end the courageous Mochtas challenge

ST. Mochta’s: Niamh Kirk; Orla O’Neill, Dearbhla O’Connor, Lauren Kieran; Leah Farrell, Aisling McKeown, Laura McDonnell; Aoife Byrne (0-2), Sarah Englishby; Éimeár Byrne (1-0), Terri Englisby, Gráinne Mackin; Christine Carolan (0-1), Emma Quinn (0-1, free), Caitlin Curley (0-1). Subs: Laura Kieran (0-1) for Carolan, Róisín Curley for Kiernan

COOLEY Kickhams: Sineád Rice; Laura Grills, Lisa McCarragher, Laura Traynor; Aoife Traynor, Claire Donnelly, Niamh Quigley; Siobhán McDonald (0-1), Patsi Boland; Lauren Boyle (0-5, two frees), Katlyn Quinn, Niamh Rice (0-5, one free); Coirin Rice, Eibhlin Rice, Megan Ferguson. Subs: Aoife McDaid for Ferguson, Shauna Murphy for Ferguson

REFEREE: Brian Brady