St. Michaels 4-05 3-04 Dunboyne B
Sunday November 24th 2019
in Dunganny
U-13 Girls div. 6 Cup Final

GRIFFIN’S LATE EQUALISER SENDS FINAL TO A REPLAY

Sunday Nov. 10th 2019
Girls U-13 FL Division 6 Cup Final. 1 ( 12 a side )

Full time: St. Michaels 3-09, Dunboyne B 4-06,
Half time: St. Michaels 3-06, Dunboyne B 1-03.

There was disappointment etched on the faces of the young girls of St. Michaels and Dunboyne B after this final on Sunday morning as neither team were bringing home the cup after a thrilling match as they will have to do it all over again on another day following Mia Griffin’s levelling point in the dying minutes of this division 6 cup final on Dunganny’s Astro pitch. The tight schedule of games on U-13’s Final Day meant there was no time for extra time to be played.

It was gripping stuff throughout as two well matched teams produced an absorbing battle with St. Michaels dominating the opening half and Dunboyne doing likewise in the second. The St. Michaels girls were 3-6 to 1-3 to the good at half time following goals from Edel Reilly (2) and Mia Griffin (1). Anne Behan and Aoife Bennett sent over some fine points while Dunboyne replied with their opening goal on 24 minutes having posted three earlier points.

Dunboyne turned in a great second half recovery and although Ciara Bennett got the opening point of the second half after six minutes, her side didn’t score again until she herself ended the drought in the 20th minute by which stage Dunboyne were just two points adrift 3-6 to 3-8. Then a high ball into the St. Michaels square went loose and was toe poked to the back of the net for the Dunboyne lead. To their credit the St. Michaels girls didn’t panic and in a dramatic final couple of minutes they won their own kick-out and some good work around the middle third by Griffin and Bennett resulted in a free which Mia Griffin sent between the posts for the levelling point much to the delight of their management and the travelling supporters.
This was a great team effort from these young St. Michaels girls and we wish them the very best of luck in the replay.

St. Michaels team & scorers:
Caitlin McGillick; Ellie Jackson, Jane Mulligan; Orla O’Loughlin, Ciara Bennett (0-2), Lilly Kangley; Mia Griffin (1-3), Aoife Bennett (0-2); Ciara Finnegan, Anne Behan (0-1), Sophie Rogan; Edel Reilly (2-1). 

Subs: H. Keoghan for O’Loughlin, Kate McKenna for Anne Behan.
Report: Pascal Reilly PRO
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ST. MICHAELS DO IT IN STYLE

Sunday Nov. 24th 2019
Girls U-13 FL Division 6 Cup Final replay ( 12 a side )

Full time: St. Michaels 4-05, Dunboyne B 3-04,
Half time: St. Michaels 2-01, Dunboyne B 2-01.

St. Michaels collected the division 6 cup at the second time of asking in a hugely exciting contest in Dunganny on Sunday afternoon. They needed a replay and all the guts and heart that they could muster as the fought off an unrelenting Dunboyne challenge in what was an end to end classic, but there’s no denying that they were the deserving victors. 

After a quality opening half, there was nothing between the sides with the score at 2-1 apiece at the break. Dunboyne were first out of the stalls with a goal after only 30 seconds, not to be out done Anne Behan raised the first of her three green flags a minute later and she followed up with her second a short time later. Dunboyne drew level on twelve minutes and scores became a rarity for the remainder of the half with Edel Reilly splitting the posts for St. Michaels and the Dunboyne girls levelling the match for the second time after 21 minutes.

The St. Michaels girls turned the game on it’s head in the second half and although Dunboyne took an early one point lead, the eventual winners became more territorially dominant especially through the hard work put in around the middle third by Mia Griffin, Aoife Bennett and Sophie Rogan who were all in excellent form throughout this final. Anne Behan wasn’t to be denied her hat-trick as she blasted to the net five minutes into the new half, her cousin Edel Reilly also added her second major for a four point advantage. Dunboyne pulled one back but Griffin split the posts to stretch the lead to five points. Once again Dunboyne replied with a point but a minor apiece from Bennett and substitute Kate McKenna momentarily steadied the St. Michaels ship.

Dunboyne kept plugging away and a goal bound shot was initially well saved by Caitlin McGillick in the St. Michaels goals however the rebound was blasted to the net after a scramble for possession in the square with only five minutes of normal time remaining to leave just three points the difference. As those final few minutes slowly ticked away the supporters nerves were settled when Aoife Bennett hit the insurance point three minutes into added time for a well deserved victory.
This final lacked for nothing and credit must go to the entire St. Michaels team and management, the players moved the ball at pace, kicking some excellent scores while one had to admire the defensive skills displayed particularly through an enthralling second 25 minutes by Ellie Jackson, Jane Mulligan, Lilly Kangley, Ciara Bennett, Ciara Finnegan and Orla O’Loughlin, and I must not forget substitute Tigan McCabe who fought like a terrier for every ball that came her way.

St. Michaels team & scorers:

Caitlin McGillick; Ellie Jackson, Jane Mulligan; Lilly Kangley, Ciara Bennett (0-2), Ciara Finnegan; Mia Griffin (0-1), Aoife Bennett (0-2); Orla O’Loughlin, Anne Behan (3-0), Sophie Rogan; Edel Reilly (1-1).
Subs: Kate McKenna (0-1) for O’Loughlin, Tigan McCabe for Kangley.

Report: Pascal Reilly PRO
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