Schools: St. Stephens hold on
June 19, 2017
St Patricks keeper Riannon O'Neill clears her lines as Katie McCairn St Stephens closes in during the Division 1 Shield final at Pairc Tailteann.
The Meath Cumann na mBunscol Girls football finals took place in Pairc Tailteann. There were seven titles up for grabs.
The girl's Division One Shield final saw St Patrick's N.S in Stamullen take on Navan based St. Stephen's N.S on a windswept day at Pairc Tailteainn.
St Stephens NS Navan 3-6 St Patricks NS Stamullen 3-4
Playing with a very strong wind behind them in the first half, St Patrick's opened the scoring with two points from midfielder Susanna Schultzmann inside the first six minutes but St. Stephens were level again four minutes later after two scores from Osarhumwense Osariemen.
A goal from Katie Daly for St Patrick's after 13 minutes was answered by two goals from Katie McCairn and Michaela McMahon for the Navan side and, with most of the balls into the Stamullen forwards drifting out over the end line with the wind, it was the cusp of half time before a point from Nicole Dungan cut St. Stephen's advantage to two at the break, 2-2 to 1-3.
Playing with the wind in the second half, St. Stephens were soon seven points up courtesy of a goal and two points from Katie McCairn before Becky Harney hit the back of the Navan net with 10 minutes to go.
Stamullen worked hard against the wind and even a sudden rainstorm couldn't dampen their enthusiasm and when Sophie Rose split the posts for St. Patrick's and Harney scored her second goal of the day, the sides were level at 3-4 apiece with just three minutes to go.
St. Stephen's though finished the stronger of the two sides, star of the show McCairn adding two more points as the clock ticked down, killing the game off and earning the Navan school the Division One Shield at their second attempt in as many years.
After the game Ronan Farrell presented the Girls Division 1 Shield to St. Stephen's N.S. captain Micheala McMahon.
St Stephen's NS Navan: Kate Murphy, Jorja Keogh, Maeve McCarrick, Uche Ogonuwe, Ava O'Donoghue, Debbie Adeyemi, Leah Rodgers, Osarhumwense Osariemen 0-1, Aimee Kilroy, Michaela McMahon 1-1, Anya Jakimenko, Robyn Byrne, Katie McCairn 2-4. Subs: Zydrane Baltinaite, Holly Redmond, Ire Falola, Amy Weldrick, Ayesha Barouche, Caitlin Szasz, Lucy Martin, Casey Dunne
St. Patrick's NS Stamullen: Riannon O'Neill, Keelin McKeon, Lauren O'Neill, Eva Tuckey, Sophie O'Leary, Aisling O'Neill, Amy Prosser, Susanna Schutzmann 0-2, Rebecca Harney 2-0, Nicole Dungan, Sophie Rose 0-1, Abigail Dungan 0-1, Katie Daly 1-0. Subs: Ella Thompson, Hannah O Connor, Annie Butler, Siofra O Sullivan, Faye Wardell
Referee James Minnock
