Knockninny 5-7
Belcoo 3-9
An injury time goal sealed victory for the Knockninny girls as they edged victory in a thrilling Brewster Park top flight decider.
With the large attendance creating a real final atmosphere, the game ebbed and flowed from the start with the sides swapping goals inside the first two minutes to set the tone.
Ciara McGuinness for Belcoo and Molly Quinlan for Knockninny were the early strikers with points by Tegan Creighan and an Alannah Maguire putting Knockninny ahead by the 4th minute.
Points were traded before a 19th minute Belcoo goal from Abbie McGovern and three further points for them left the O’Rahilly’s 2-5 to 1-5 ahead as half time approached.
The half ended in a welter of excitement.
Niamh Boyle netting a Knockninny equaliser, Eve Barrett pointing for Belcoo and Eimear Gray hitting Belcoo’s third goal from the penalty spot, after a foul on Rachel Nolan, to leave it 3-6 to 2-5.
Straight from restart, Molly Quinlan got a Knockninny goal before the teams traded points once more. Soon followed Quinlan’s hat-trick in the 47th minute for a 4-5 to 3-7 lead.
Another points swap kept the game on knife edge, until substitute Niamh McKiernan got the finishing touch, in a hectic injury time goalmouth scramble, for the victory clinching goal.
‘Player of the Match’, Alannah Maguire, in attack and Katie Shannon in defence, were particularly prominent in a solid team display by the winners.
Siofra McAloon in defence, Scarlett O’Connor at midfield, Eve Barret up front all had good games for Belcoo with goalkeeper Riona Keaney also catching the eye with her enterprising outfield runs.
TEAMS
Knockninny
Oonagh Murray; Ashling Burke, Shauna Donohue, Niamh McAllister; Eimear Mooney, Katie Shannon, Ciarrai Maguire (0-1); Eabha McKiernan (0-1), Niamh Boyle (1-0); Aoife Lee, Alannah Maguire (0-3f), Aoife McBarron (0-1); Tegan Creighan (0-1), Molly quinlan (3-0), Sarah Rasdale. Subs; Niamh McKiernan (1-0), Chloe Gartland.
Belcoo
Riona Keaney; Orlaith McAloon, Siofra McAloon, Megan Maguire; Ella McGovern, Eimear Gray (1-0, pen.), Emilie McCallion; Scarlett O’Connor (0-3, 1f), Ciara Parker; Eve Barrett (0-4), Ciara McGuinness (1-0), Lily-Mae McNulty; Abbie McGovern (1-1), Cairenn McGrath, Rachel Nolan (0-1).