St Naul’s won the Donegal Ladies Intermediate Championship final in style this afternoon in Convoy.
St Naul’s 4-13 St Eunan’s 1-8, Pictures by Joe Boland, North West News Pix
Layla Alvey started and ended the scoring with a brace of goals, with Donegal player Eilish Ward and captain Sarah Shovlin also netting.
St Eunan’s did attempt a come back, but the task was too stiff for the Cathedral Town side as St Naul’s took the win in their first year at Intermediate level.
St Naul’s got off to a blistering start as Layla Alvey’s early goal was the catalyst for a purple patch in the opening ten minutes.
Niamh McGeehan drilled over a point before Ward converted two in a row.
St Eunan’s were handed a lifeline when Laura Crossan raced onto Katherine Kelly’s pass and, after making great ground, Crossan lobbed over Yvette Armstrong for a goal.
Rather than enliven St Eunan’s, it merely angered St Naul’s and they hit two goals in the next three minutes.
Sarah Shovlin finished from close range before Ward scurried in and showed her class with a clever finish.
While Naomi McMenamin and Anna Flanagan (free) scored for St Eunan’s, the traffic was all one way for the most part.
Denise Breslin should have had a fourth St Naul’s goal, but had to settle for a point after Emer Shovlin was denied.
Two points in quick succession from McGeehan had St Naul’s comfortably in front, 3-9 to 1-2, at the break.
St Eunan’s had a good start to the second half with McMenamin, Hannah Carr and Flanagan on the mark, but Shovlin and Niamh Boyle eased any nerves that might have been creeping into the St Naul’s minds.
Eight minutes from the end, Alvey emphatically put the seal on it. The Breslins, Denise and Annaleigh, did the spadework and Alvey fired past Aisling Nee for goal number four.
St Eunan’s were awarded a late penalty, but Grainne Gallagher’s effort from the spot rebounded back off the post.
St Naul’s: Yvette Armstrong; Emer Burke, Sarah Meehan, Ally McGready; Micheala Breslin, Amy Shovlin, Ellen Campbell; Sarah Shovlin (1-2), Niamh Boyle (0-1); Denise Breslin (0-1), Layla Alvey (2-1), Emer Shovlin; Niamh McGeehan (0-4), Eilish Ward (1-3, 1f), Annaleigh Breslin (0-1). Subs used: Shannon White, Anna Campbell, Kerrie McGroarty, Roisin Ward, Laura Furey,
St Eunan’s: Aisling Nee; Molly Carr, Kaneshia Kinney, Rachel Hannigan; Lauren O’Connell, Annie McCole, Niamh Ryan; Katherine Kelly (0-1), Anna Flanagan (0-4, 4f); Hannah Carr (0-1), Clodagh Brennan, Meghan Reid; Nell Carr, Laura Crossan (1-0), Naomi McMenamin (0-2).
Subs used: Catherine Fletcher, Grace Harkin, Grainne Gallagher.
Referee: Siobhan Coyle (Gaeil Fhánada).
