MATCH REPORT
Mayo Minor Ladies V. Galway Minor Ladies
Connacht John Miller Minor Ladies Football Championship A Final
At Ballyhaunis GAA Grounds, Co. Mayo
Saturday May 5th 2012 at 4pm

Reported by: Peter McCartan (Freelance)
E-Mail: petermccartan1@gmail.com
Phone: 087-1310310

Headline:  Minor glory for Mayo ladies after heroic battle.

Main Text:
Connacht John Miller Minor Ladies Football Championship A Final

Mayo               4-10
Galway            3-12

Reported by Peter McCartan at Ballyhaunis GAA Grounds.

 This was a thriller from beginning to end. The minor ladies of Mayo captured the Connacht A Championship title after holding on in a nail biting finish against a gallant Galway side. The game was played in Ballyhaunis with a healthy attendance who gave both teams rousing support.
 Mayo opened the scoring in the first minute when midfielder Niamh Kelly swung over a free kick after Siobhan Wilson was fouled. Galway responded a minute later with a fine point from play by Orla Kemple when she collected a pass from Ailbhe Finnerty, daughter of former Mayo legend Anthony Finnerty. This was a very different Galway side that Mayo had accounted so easily for in the league section of the competition earlier this year. They were coming out tops in many of the early exchanges and kept the pressure on the Mayo ladies. This pressure yielded a goal in the sixth minute when full forward Roisin Leonard found the back of the Mayo net with a low shot. Again, Ailbhe Finnerty supplied the scoring pass. Leonard almost got in for another goal a minute later, but Mayo custodian Aisling Tarpey reacted quickly to block the shot and clear the ball. Leonard popped over a point from play in the ninth minute after several goal bound shots were saved and blocked. Galway were dominating proceedings at this early stage but Mayo got themselves back into contention with a fine goal from Sarah Rowe. Niamh Kelly sent a long pass over the top of the Galway defence to Rowe who rounded the ‘keeper to plant the ball in the net. Mayo levelled matters in the 14th minute when Rowe scored a point from play after linking with Leanne Foley.
 Parity was short lived as Galway stormed up field and landed two quick points from play from Shaunagh Jackson and the busy Leonard in the 16th minute. The game was flowing from end to end now as Mayo reduced the arrears to a single point when Aine O'Reilly scored a point from play in the 17th minute. The score of the day arrived in the 19th minute when Niamh Kelly gathered a kick out and raced to the 21 yard line before unleashing a rocket of a shot to the back of the Galway net. This cracking goal put Mayo two points up. The last ten minutes of the first half were played at a cracking pace as both sides traded points. Rowe clipped over two further frees and Kelly added another point from play. Galway had points from play from Kemple, Jackson and two from wing back Mairead Ni Lionsigh. Aisling Tarpey pulled off a great double save from Leonard in the 23rd minute to deny Galway a goal. The half time whistle sounded to give both teams a well earned breather, with Mayo leading by a single point, 2-6 to 1-8.
 Mayo started the second half with a blistering pace and raced into a five point lead by the 32nd minute with a point from Siobhan Wilson and a second goal from Sarah Rowe. Aimee Bell, who was playing in a roving role, supplied the inch perfect pass to Rowe who coolly slipped the ball under Caoimhe Ni Laoi in the visitor's net. To their credit, Galway never buckled and drew level by the 43rd minutes with points from Siobhan Gavin and Leonard and a goal from Jackson. The goal came as a result of a goalmouth scramble and Jackson just got enough on her shot despite the best efforts of Tarpey in the Mayo goal.
 The Galway girls sensed victory and surged forward in search of scores. They will surely rue a five minute spell between the 44th and 49th minutes when they kicked six wides as they dominated possession. Mayo steadied the ship with their third goal from Aine O'Reilly in the 49th minute. Erina Flannery passed to O'Reilly twenty metres from goal and her dipping shot nestled in the corner of the Galway net. This gave the Mayo girls impetus and two points followed from a Rowe free and a point from play from O'Reilly to open up a five point gap by the 54th minute. However the Galway girls ensured the contest would go right to the wire when Leonard again found the back of the Mayo net with her second goal. This was quickly followed by a point from Louise Ward to leave only a point between the sides with five minutes to play. Rowe swung over her fourth free kick in the 57th minute, but Leonard responded with a pointed free in the last minute to set up a very tense finale. The Mayo girls dug deep and held on to win by a single point with a 4-10 to 3-12 score line.
     
Scorers:
Mayo: Sarah Rowe 2-5 (0-4 fr), Niamh Kelly (0-1 fr) and Aine O'Reilly 1-2 each,  Siobhan Wilson 0-1.

Galway: Roisin Leonard (0-1fr) 2-4, Shaunagh Jackson 1-2, Mairead Ni Lionsigh and Orla Kemple 0-2 each, Siobhan Gavin and Louise Ward 0-1 each.

Teams:
Mayo:  Aisling Tarpey; Aoife McHugh, Mairead Charlton, Aisling Towey; Nicole O'Malley, Grace Kelly, Lydia Rainey; Niamh Kelly, Mary Duffy; Doireann Hughes, Aine O'Reilly, Siobahn Wilson; Leanne Foley, Aimee Bell, Sarah Rowe.
Subs Used: Erina Flannery for Rainey (38 mins) and Carrie O'Malley for Hughes (inj 43 mins).

Galway: Caoimhe Ni Laoi; Bronagh Murphy, Sile Ni Shuilleabhain, Nicole Conway; Aisling Hynes, Nicola Ward, Mairead Ni Lionsaigh; Orla Dixon, Hayleigh Summers; Ailbhe Finnerty, Shaunagh Jackson, Siobhan Gavin; Louise Ward, Roisin Leonard, Orla Kemple.
Subs Used: Claire Gibbons for Conway (36 mins) and Niamh O'Connor for Murphy (41 mins)

Referee: Seamus Regan (Roscommon)

Player of the Match:
Aisling Tarpey (Mayo). Executed several fine saves over the course of the game to keep her team in the game. Aisling held the last line of defence brilliantly. Her contributions proved to be inspirational to her team when Galway came looking for scores.

Additional Notes:
Roscommon captured the Minor B title by beating Sligo on a 2-14 to 2-8 score line.