St. Mary’s ladies reach Connacht final
ST Mary’s became the first Sligo club team to reach a Connaught final this year with an impressive win over Roscommon champions Western Gaels in Curry on Sunday, Full-Time Score 5-15 to 5-07.
The game opened in a frantic pace with 3 goals in the first four minutes two to Western Gaels, one from Leah Lavin and the second from Jenny Higgins with St Mary’s getting one in between from Emma Hansbury.
Both Side’s traded points for the next twenty minutes with St Mary’s scores coming through Aime Geraghty,(two points), and Sarah McMoreland and Karen Maloney getting one point each mid-way through the first half. A 45 taken off the ground by Emma Hansbury was picked up by Michaela Gaffney, and finished in the back of the net. This was followed by an Emma Hansbury goal in the twenty second minute.
A penalty miss by Irish International Emma Hansbury just before the break did not dent St Mary’s ambitions, and they let 3-6 to 3-04 at half time.
The second half started at the same pace as the first, with four points from St Mary’s Karen Maloney, two from frees, in the opening eight minutes.
Western Gaels captain Martina Freyne tagged on 1-02 for the Roscommon champions in the same period, before a loose boot got to the ball in the square to give Western Gaels their fifth goal and put them a point up.
St Mary’s however, pushed into top gear in the last fifteen minutes, scoring seven times.
Emma Hansbury got a peach of a goal, before Emma O’Connoll having run through from midfield finished to the back of the net, a just reward having missed the county final through illness.
St Mary’s captain Karen Maloney added 1-02 before the final score of the day came from St Mary’s substitute Ruth Monaghan.
Western Gaels will rue some missed chances they failed to score after the eleventh minute of the second half.
St Mary’s can be very proud of their perfor- mance. They now move on to the Connaught final, where they will face Galway champions MoyCullins on November fifth. THIS Sunday’s Belfry Senior Football Championship final between reigning County Champions Tourlestrane and Eastern Harps and the Senior Hurling Championship final between Calry/St. Joseph’s and Western Gaels will be streamed live for the first time ever. SLIGO GAA will stream the Finals on the Sligo GAA You Tube channel with communications partners Fastcom providing their Fibre broadband to enable the broadcast. This will enable Sligo Gaels across the world access the county finals and is a new departure for the County Board. ONLY recently the Sligo Ladies County finals were streamed live on the internet and this proved very successful. It is also an opportunity for many of Sligo GAA’s many sponsors to promote their businesses on the world wide web. Sligo GAA are most appreciative of all the Sponsors who have availed of this opportunity to feature in our first ever live broadcast.
COVERAGE begins at 1.30pm on Sunday with build up and analysis from Markievicz Park with the hurling final due to commence at 2pm and the Belfry Senior Football final at 4pm.