Milltown's first senior championship triumph and Tyrrellspass' feat in winning both the intermediate and junior championships were among the highlights of another busy year on the local ladies football scene. A new name was inscribed on the Westmeath senior ladies football championship cup after Milltown's victory over holders St. Loman's at Cusack Park on September 14 last. However, the green and whites' maiden success was overshadowed by a serious injury to St. Loman's county star Aileen Martin, which resulted in the abandonment of the final with three minutes of injury-time still to be played. Milltown were leading by 0-9 to 0-4 at the time of the incident and it was only after St. Loman's conceded the game at a meeting of the county board fixtures committee three days later that the Rathconrath girls were confirmed as champions. It was a case of third time lucky for Tom Kearney's charges who suffered defeats at the hands of St. Loman's in the 2005 final and 2006 semi-final, though they did gain a modicum of revenge for the latter result when they turned the tables on the Mullingar girls in the 2006 senior cup final. Milltown retained the senior cup last year when they once again saw off the challenge of St. Loman's in the final. St. Loman's were widely fancied to claim their fourth successive senior championship crown in 2007, but the hurt of previous years meant that Milltown were always going to be a major threat to them. Milltown's determination was evident in their comfortable semi-final win over Garrycastle, while St. Loman's were forced to pull out all the stops to defeat 2006 intermediate winners Coralstown/Kinnegad after extra-time in their penultimate round bout. The final was by no means a classic but, after trailing at half-time, Milltown showed a marked improvement in the second half to open up a five-point advantage before the game was brought to an abrupt end. Laura Halligan gave Milltown the lead with the opening score from a free in the third minute, but that proved to be their only score of the half as Loman's responded with points from Leona Archbold (two) and Stephanie Kelly to take a 0-3 to 0-1 lead into the interval. Milltown resumed with four unanswered points from Laura Halligan, Faye Kearney (two) and Jenny Rogers to open up a 0-5 to 0-3 lead. Leona Archbold reduced the deficit to the minimum from a free in the 48th minute, but it was all Milltown after that who tagged on four more points per Halligan (two), Ruth Kearney and Faye Kearney. Ninety seconds of the four minutes of injury-time allotted by referee Peter Daly had been played when St. Loman's Aileen Martin suffered a serious neck injury following an accidental collision. After the unfortunate Martin was stretched off the field and into an ambulance, the game was unable to resume due to fading light and St. Loman's later decided to concede the game, rather than seek a re-fixture. Milltown showed themselves to be the undisputed queens of the ladies football scene when they walloped St. Loman's by 4-11 to 0-6 in the senior cup final at Springfield two months later. The green and whites had much to prove after their 'hollow' county final victory, and their scoring power proved too much for an outclassed St. Loman's side. St. Loman's made the first impression on the scoreboard when Laura Newman kicked a lovely point, but Milltown were rampant for the remainder of the half, racking up 3-11 in an awesome scoring display. In fact, St. Loman's would have found themselves further in arrears but for the goalkeeping heroics of Maeve Logan. The second half was a non-event with Laura Halligan's second goal only serving to add gloss to the scoreline. 2007 was also a memorable year for Tyrrellspass who, after many disappointments in recent seasons, captured both the intermediate and junior championship crowns for the first time. Beaten in the previous three junior finals by Kilbeggan Shamrocks, Coralstown/Kinnegad and The Downs respectively, they were given permission to compete in the intermediate championship last year and justified their inclusion with a surprise but fully merited win over Mullingar Shamrocks in the final, which was played as a curtain-raiser to the senior decider at Cusack Park. After accounting for The Downs in the semi-final in impressive fashion, Mullingar Shamrocks seemed poised to make amends for their final losses to Milltown and Coralstown/Kinnegad in 2002 and 2006. But Tyrrellspass, who overcome Clann Gaels in the other semi-final, showed an uncanny ability to notch goals and this ultimately proved to be the difference between the sides. Inspired by the performances of team captain Johanna Maher and Lisa Rigney, Tyrrellspass blew their fancied opponents away with four goals in the space of six first half minutes. All were excellent strikes from Nicola Feery, Johanna Maher, Lisa Rigney and Phillipa Maher, and from that point on the result was never really in any doubt. The 'Tidy Town' girls led by 4-2 to 0-5 at half-time, and after surviving a missed penalty by Emma Morris at the start of the second half, they sealed an impressive win with a fifth goal from substitute Gemma Gavin. Tyrrellspass made it a magnificent double at Shandonagh a fortnight later when they defeated Loughnavalley by 3-11 to 3-3 to claim the junior championship at the fourth time of asking. Fielding several of their intermediate championship-winning team, the navy and sky blues were always in control against first-time finalists Loughnavalley who, it must be said, didn't go down without a fight. Tyrrellspass led by 1-6 to 0-2 at the interval and further goals from Nicole Feery and Lisa Rigney extended their advantage to 3-9 to 0-3 by the end of the third quarter. But Loughnavalley never gave up and they finished with a flourish thanks to a brace of goals from Fiona Ruane and another from Orla Glennon. Tyrrellspass also beat Loughnavalley to win the intermediate shield, while the junior shield was won by Ballycomoyle, who overcome Athlone in the final. At underage level, Milltown were crowned minor 'A' champions following a 2-8 to 2-5 victory over Rochfortbridge. The losers led early in the second half, but a late Ruth Kearney goal ensured Milltown of the senior-minor double. There was more final heartbreak for Mullingar Shamrocks when they succumbed to Kilbeggan Shamrocks by 2-8 to 1-10 in a thrilling minor 'B' decider. The game's decisive period came just after half-time when Kilbeggan scored 1-4 without reply, and the maroons held on for victory in a frenetic finale. The minor 'C' title went to Coralstown/Kinnegad who got the better of Athlone by 4-13 to 2-4 in the final which was notable for the fact that it was played under lights in Tubber, Co. Offaly. Tyrrellspass continued their winning ways at under 16 level, putting paid to Garrycastle's three-in-a-row hopes with victory in the 'A' final. Coralstown/Kinnegad beat Rochfortbridge to land the 'B' title, Mullingar Shamrocks proved too strong for Kilbeggan Shamrocks in the 'C' final, winning by 2-9 to 1-5, while The Downs claimed the 'D' crown at the expense of St. Paul's. Garrycastle were the queens of the under 14 grade, beating the holders Milltown by 10-7 to 3-10 in a high-scoring 'A' final at Rochfortbridge. Garrycastle corner forward Jenny Byrne accounted for 4-4 of her side's tally, while Vicki McHenry also weighed in with 3-1. In the 'B' final, Aine McCaul's haul of 2-3 proved decisive as Athlone overcame St. Loman's by 3-11 to 5-4, Mullingar Shamrocks beat Clann Gaels by 5-5 to 1-6 in the 'C' final, while Shandonagh were victorious over Loughnavalley in the 'D' decider. In the under 12 'A' final at Castledaly, Nicole Collinson's goal handed Athlone a 1-4 to 0-4 victory over holders Moate All-Whites. Tyrrellspass beat Coralstown/Kinnegad by 3-10 to 0-3 in the 'B' final, The Downs defeated Rochfortbridge to annex the 'C' title, while Siobhan Kiernan's 3-1 helped Mullingar Shamrocks to a 5-2 to 3-2 win over Ballycomoyle in the 'D' final. Compared to previous years, 2007 was a major disappointment for St. Loman's but they did have the consolation of beating town rivals in the Feile na nOg decider. The Milltown team that was crowned senior champions for the first time: Niamh Mulligan; Maura Coloe, Olive Heduan, Sinead Boyce; Kellie Boyce-Jordan, Jenny Rogers, Joye Kearney; Karen Walsh (captain), Grace Kearney; Carmel Mahon, Ruth Kearney, Helen Walsh; Faye Kearney, Katie Somers, Laura Halligan. Subs used: Bronagh Beglan, Laura Kiernan and Carmel Mahon. Tyrrellspass' intermediate championship-winning starting line-up was: Sarah Keegan; Natasha Feery, Bernie Alford, Maggie O'Connor; Carol Mealiffe, Laura Gaye, Fiona Bradley; Teresa Chester, Johanna Maher; Rachel Bagnall, Lisa Rigney, Katie Deegan; Nicole Feery, Joanne Carroll, Phillipa Maher. Subs used: Gemma Gavin, Ciara Scally, Hannah Bagnall, Maria Brennan, Aoife McDermott, Elaine McKeon and Ciara Glennon. The Tyrrellspass team that defeated Loughnavalley to land their first junior title was: Aisling Hyland; Elaine McKeon, Bernie Alford, Joan Daly; Teresa Chester, Ciara Deegan, Maria Brennan; Johanna Maher, Lisa Rigney; Aoife McDermott, Joanne Carroll, Katie Deegan; Susie Feery, Ulrika Maher, Phillipa Maher. Subs used: Gemma Gavin, Hannah Bagnall, Nicole Feery and Ciara Scally. Milltown's minor 'A' winning team was: Cathy Phillips; Grainne Keena, Grace Kearney, Kellie Boyce-Jordan; Sinead Boyce, Joye Kearney, Megan Pendred; Jenny Rogers, Ruth Kearney; Aoife Mulligan, Alice Halligan, Bronagh Beglan; Laura Kiernan, Faye Kearney, Tara Heduan. Sub used: Shauna Dillon. Tweet

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