St Catherine’s College (Armagh) 3-4 Coláiste Bhaile
Chláir (Galway) 2-3
By AISLING CLERY in Mohill
An unbeaten season was capped off brilliantly by
Armagh side St Catherine’s as they captured the Lidl All-Ireland PPS Junior A
crown in a sunny Mohill.
After the Armagh side raced into an early lead
thanks to goals from Eva Lamb and Hannah Duffy, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir got back
on level terms after the break, but it was the Ulster champions that ground out
the result in a low scoring second-half.
St Catherine’s were quick out of the blocks,
registering an unanswered 2-1 in the opening seven minutes. Lamb and Duffy
found the back of the net before Casey Mullan split the posts as the Armagh
side led by seven early on. Mullan was a constant threat and her inspired
performance deservedly earned her the Player of the Match award.
It was all St Catherine’s in the opening action with
pressure from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir dealt with efficiently by the Armagh
rearguard. Ciara Hegarty got her side’s scoring underway on eight minutes
before a sublime free from the ground from Sara Cogley gave life to their
attack.
The sides were evenly matched and Claregalway were
given a life line when Cogley found the net midway through the half to put two
points between the sides.
The teams traded scores before the break with Ella
Reid on target for St Catherine’s from a free. As half time approached, Éabha
Brennan split the posts to leave the Armagh girls two points ahead at the
interval, 2-2 to 1-3.
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir took the lead for the first
time immediately on the resumption when Chellene Trill brilliantly found the
net.
Captain Lucy McAlary led the way for St Catherine’s
as she levelled the game two minutes later before Casey Mullan sent St
Catherine’s into the lead once more. It was a lead they were not to relinquish.
The killer blow came on 44 minutes as Hannah Duffy
raised her second green flag with a low shot into the corner of the net, to
extend her side’s lead to four.
The final quarter was a tight tussle with the game
hanging in the balance. Coláiste Bhaile Chláir were unlucky as they spurned
numerous chances to get back into contention but with Casey Mullan in defiant
form, the result was not in doubt.
Scorers: St Catherine’s College: H Duffy 2-0, E
Lambe 1-0, C Mullan 0-2, L McAlary 0-1, E Reid 0-1 (1f).
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir; S Cogley 1-1 (1f), C Trill
1-0, C Hegarty 0-1, É Brennan 0-1.
St Catherine’s College: C Kelly; A Mallon, A Boyle,
M Hughes; C Campbell, E Druse, C McCormick; C Creaney, M Ferguson; E Reid, C
Mullan, L McAlary (c); E Conroy, H Duffy, E Lambe.
Sub: A McGleenan for Campbell (42).
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir: A Griffin; L Tunney, M
Flaherty (c), A O’Flynn; S Lawless, C Trill, M McGarry; K Kearney, B Naughton;
C Hegarty, L Scanlon, É Brennan; S Cogley, H Walsh, É O’Riordan.
Sub: I. Claffey for Hegarty (47).
Referee: K Corcoran (Mayo).
