Leinster Ladies Senior Football Championship Final
Sun 19th Oct Seneschalstown 1-12 Shelmaliers 2-4
Seneschalstown ladies created history at Portarlington on Sunday as the first Meath side to capture the Leinster Club SFC title following a superb victory over Wexford champions Shelmaliers.
Adele Carolan’s goal a minute from time secured victory for the Meath champions who dominated the contest, but they were reined in by a couple of fortunate Shelmalier goals.
Leinster Ladies Senior Football Championship Final
Sun 19th Oct Seneschalstown 1-12 Shelmaliers 2-4
Seneschalstown ladies created history at Portarlington on Sunday as the first Meath side to capture the Leinster Club SFC title following a superb victory over Wexford champions Shelmaliers.
Adele Carolan’s goal a minute from time secured victory for the Meath champions who dominated the contest, but they were reined in by a couple of fortunate Shelmalier goals.
The game was extremely fractious as referee Senan Finucane was erratic with the whistle and halted proceedings needlessly on countless occasions.
The stop-start nature spoiled the entertainment value, but that shouldn’t detract from Seneschalstown’s excellent display.
Philomena Sheridan was superb at full-back and ran Fiona Mahon close for the player-of-the-match award and the displays of those two proved the winning of the game.
Shelmaliers tried several different combinations in the full-forward line, but they couldn’t negotiate Philomena Sheridan, Elaine Dillon and Dearbhla O Carroll and when they found a way through they were met with safe handling from Louise Byrne.
Seneschalstown always looked in control, especially after a nervy opening quarter during which both sides pointed, but when Seneschalstown hit the front they always looked capable of more.
Grainne Nulty and Annette O’Connell dominated midfield where a solid work rate created plenty of opportunities.
However, on too many occasions Seneschalstown lost possession or Shelmaliers cleared in desperate fashion.
Mary Sheridan ensured Catherine Doyle will have nightmares about this game as she won almost every ball and generally gave her tight marking opponent the run around.
After the slow start Mahon’s points helped move Seneschalstown into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead and with Eimear O Carroll and Sarah Wogan also proving particularly effective going forward they stretched the margin to four points, 0-7 to 0-3.
Shelmaliers got the perfect boost two minutes into first-half injury time when their best player, Michelle Hearne set-up Marion Cousins for a goal which reduced the deficit to 1-3 to 0-7 at the interval.
Seneschalstown faced a stiff breeze and an uphill struggle in the second-half and despite a brace of points they were rocked at the beginning of the final quarter when, in a rare moment of carelessness, the defence fell asleep as Maeve Quill blasted to the net.
That left the Meath champions trailing by 0-9 to 2-4. They showed real quality with Nulty, Mary and Philomena Sheridan, Wogan and Sally-Ann Carolan in outstanding form and took a 0-12 to 2-4 lead with five minutes remaining.
And then came the killer blow for Shelmaliers. The Sheridan sisters set-up Nulty who combined with Carolan for that historic goal.
Seneschalstown – L. Byrne; E. Dillon, P. Sheridan, D. O Carroll; D. Mangan, E. McGrane, E. O Carroll ((0-1); G. Nulty (0-1), A. O’Connell; A. Carolan (1-2), F. Mahon (0-6), O. Sheridan; S.A. Carolan (0-1), M. Sheridan (0-1), S. Wogan. Sub – C. Finnegan for O. Sheridan.
Shelmaliers – A. Murphy; Sharon Carr, C. Doyle, B. Curran; M. Hearne (0-2), M. Doyle, L. Corrigan; L. Tector, I. Fagan; M. Pender (0-1), M. Quill (1-0), M. Kelly; K. Kelly, Sandra Carr (0-1), M. Cousins (1-0). Sub – D. McMahon for Fagan.
Referee – Senan Finucane (Dublin).
