MOVILLE ARE Donegal minor ladies champions for the fourth year in a row after a majestic second-half display to see off St Eunan’s at The Scarvey this afternoon.
Moville 3-9 St Eunan’s 2-5
Three goals in the first half, two of them by Kate McClenaghan and the other from Eimear McLaughlin, had Moville three in front, 3-2 to 1-5, at the short whistle before they powered clear in the second half.
St Eunan’s had been right in it at the break, but Moville kept them scoreless in part two until substitute Ciara O’Donnell fired home a goal deep into injury time.
[adrotate group=”56″]By then, Sarah Faulkner’s Moville – playing without the injured Caraigh McGuinness, who felt unwell this morning – were readying themselves for a fifth title in a row, just a couple of weeks after their senior team won the Donegal senior ladies crown.
Of this squad, only Emma Doherty will be overage when the 2017 action gets underway and a magnificent conveyor belt continues to turn at the Carrick Field.
They’d the spadework done from a first half in which McClenaghan was outstanding, ably assisted by the likes of McLaughlin, Bronagh McGuinness and the captain, Réaltin McElhinney.
[adrotate group=”46″]In the second half, with Clodagh Skelly standing tall at full-back, their rearguard kept St Eunan’s at bay, while the sufficiently inched away to claim another memorable win.
They were indebted, too, to goalkeeper Molly Banks for a couple of vital saves early in the second half, one in particular when she denied Ciana Brogan after the Manor woman spun clear.
Brogan was a menace throughout for St Eunan’s, but was thwarted again by Banks in the 40th minute after being fed by the industrious Grainne Gallagher.
Full-forward Gallagher then laid on a chance for Niamh Walsh, but her shot was also kept out by the now-busy Banks.
[adrotate group=”38″]Early in the game, Brogan skilfully jinked away from her marker to post two fine points, either side of a Shannon Cunningham goal that had St Eunan’s 1-2 to 0-1 in front after just eight minutes.
Brogan found Gallagher, whose power held off the defence and she popped into Cunningham, for whom persistence paid off as she managed to steer home from close range.
Moville were soon finding the high gears and McClenaghan finished to the net after being set up by McDonald on 11 minutes.
[adrotate group=”37″]Seven minutes later, Moville had the ball in the net again as McClenaghan converted after Aisling Nee, the Eunan’s keeper, had made a save.
Tara Hegarty did well to create an opening, but fired wide and with Brogan slotting over again Eunan’s drew level late in the half.
However, a third Moville goal in added time, lobbed past Nee by McLaughlin, put Moville into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
McDonald, Bronagh McGuinness and McDonald again put six between them before Emer Gillen scored, via a deflection off the top of the crossbar and with Banks on form at the other end, it was Moville’s day.
[adrotate group=”70″]O’Donnell did manage to slalom through for a St Eunan’s goal right on the blow of John McGlanaghey’s final whistle, but Moville had the silverware sewn up by that stage and the bonfires by the Foyle were being readied.
Moville: Molly Banks; Niamh Skelly, Clodagh Skelly, Emma Doherty; Aobh Faulkner (0-1), Michelle Logue, Ciara Harkin; Tara Hegarty, Réaltín McElhinney; Sinead McGuinness, Niamh McDonald (0-2), Eimear McLaughlin (1-0); Bronagh McGuinness (0-2), Kate McClenaghan (2-2, 1f), Emer Gillen (0-2). Subs: Breena Diver for Doherty (17), Aisling McGuinness for B.McGuinness (47), Bronagh McGuinness for T.Hegarty (52), Colleen McElroy for Gillen (54).
St Eunan’s: Aisling Nee; Sinead McIntyre, Niamh Ryan, Ciara O’Donnell; Laura Kealy, Rachel Hannigan, Grainne Harkin; Anna Flanagan, Nell Carr; Niamh Harkin, Cara Boyle, Claire Doherty; Ciana Brogan (0-3), Grainne Gallagher (0-1, 1f), Shannon Cunningham (1-1). Subs: Katie McGovern for O’Donnell (33), Catherine Kelly for Ryan (33), Niamh Walsh for Cunningham (41), Ciara O’Donnell (1-0) for Doherty (53), Maeve McEniff for N.Harkin (57).
Referee: John McGlanaghey (Four Masters)
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