St Ultans 1-11
Oldcastle 0-13 (after extra time)
St Ultans were crowned Meath Ladies Senior Football Championship winners after an enthralling battle with Oldcastle at Carlanstown last night. Well over 1,200 people turned out to witness a fantastic game of football. In the end it took extra time to sort these two very evenly matched teams.
Before the throw in there was a minutes silence for Phil O'Brien (from Kells) and Lizzy Hussey (from Cavan who died in a car accident yesterday).
A minutes silence was observed by both teams
Oldcastle were forced to line out without influential captain Sinead Coyle but welcomed back Eileen Rahill and included former county player Kellie Allen in the substitutes. St Ultans started without Katie O'Brien because of an injury picked up in the drawn game.
Like in the first match it took the teams a while to settle. Geraldine Doherty finally got the scoreboard working with a fine point after eight minutes. Oldcastle responded in style as Aine Bennet opened their account and the very impressive Emma Healy followed suit to put the North Meath girls in front. That score followed a spell of Ultans dominance and the winners were rewarded with scores from Elaine Duffy (free) and a second from Doherty. As they have been doing all year, Oldcastle hit back with another brace from the accurate Sarah O'Reilly.
As the first half entered its final ten minutes the experience of St Ultans began to tell. After a couple of bad wides Anthony Monaghan's charges sent over three unanswered points from Duffy (2) and full forward Ciara Murray, who started instead of the injured Katie O'Brien, to go in at the break 0-6 to 0-4 ahead.
A goal chance for Sarah O'Reilly
On the restart Oldcastle introduced Kellie Allen and within five minutes levelled matters once more. O'Reilly sent over her third point and Bennet her second to tie the game at 0-6 each.
It was time for St Ultans to spring Katie O'Brien from the bench and the attacker made an immediate impact pointing within a minute of coming on to the pitch. Healy levelled for Oldcastle before St Ultans took a firm grip on proceedings. Two points from Duffy followed by a fortuitous goal by Geraldine Doherty opened up a five point gap midway through the half.
Healy sent over her third point for Oldcastle and this was foliowed by two incidents that had a big effect on the eventual outcome.
Katie O'Brien with Eileen Rahill
Like in the drawn game Shauna Bennett picked up a yellow card and was sin binned for 10 minutes. From the resulting free O'Reilly narrowed the gap to three but from the next play Oldcastle centre forward Joanna Byne was sent off by referee Colm McManus for a foul on Elaine Duffy.
With both teams down to 14 the game opened up and it was Oldcastle who enjoyed a better share of possession. O'Reilly and Healy narrowed the lead to a single point as the game entered injury time and with the last kick of the game O'Reilly tied up matters with a wonderful point. The final score after normal time was 1-9 to 0-12 which meant that two periods of ten minutes extra time was needed.
Player of the Match Shauna Bennett
Shauna Bennett was back on the pitch and it was in extra time that St Ultans used all of their experience. The first ten minutes saw only one score - an Elaine Duffy pointed free. Ultans showed great patience in the second half of extra time holding on to possession. Duffy opened up a two point lead and Oldcastle's lone score in extra time came from the boot of O'Reilly but as they pressed for an equaliser time ran out and St Ultans were crowned senior champions.
After the game Chairperson of the Meath Ladies Board Caroline Flattery presented the Player of the Match Award to Shauna Bennett and the Seior Championship Cup to St Ultans captain Mary Coyne.
The celebrations begin
St Ultans: Nuala O'Brien, Sinead Monaghan, Irene Munnelly, Mairead Costello, Shauna Bennett, Mary Coyne (Captain), Anne-Marie Ball, Lesley Buchanan, Patricia Marley, Elaine Duffy 0-7, Aisling Marley, Karen Healy, Niamh Rispin, Geraldine Doherty 1-2, Ciara Murray 0-1. Subs: Katie O'Brien 0-1, Ciara Murray, Lisa Bennett, Megan Buchanan, Aoife Martin, Ruby McLoughlin, Aoife Ball, Niamh O'Keeffe, Sophie O'Reilly, Cara Woods, Andrea O'Reilly, Zara Rodgers, Tara Newman, Grainne Mackin, Katie Emmett, Yvonne Barden.
Oldcastle: Karen Cadden, Eimear Hetherton, Bridgetta Lynch (captain), Florence Smith, Gabriele Krivinskaite, Jane Browne, Nadine Wade, Gillian Hawdon, Stephanie Caffrey, Emma Healy 0-4, Joanna Byrne, Ciara Delaney, Eileen Rahill, Aine Bennett 0-2, Sarah O'Reilly 0-7. Subs: Aideen O'Neill, Eimear McEnroe, Anna Maxwell, Niamh Foy, Caoimhe McKenna, Chloe McNamee, Aoife Caffrey, Kellie Allen, Aoife Maguire, Eimear Delaney, Ally Farrelly, Helen Morris, Clare Griffin, Cliodhna Caffrey, Rebecca Farrelly, Michaela Monaghan, Elaine Plunkett, Gemma Galligan, Sinead Coyle.
Referee: Colm McManus
Mary Coyne raises the Cup
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