Carnacon secure another County Title.

September 20, 2012

Carnacon v. Kilmovee Shamrocks
Mayo Ladies Senior Football Championship Final
At Abbey Park, Mayo Abbey
Saturday 15tn September 2012 at 2pm

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

Headline: Carnacon secure yet another county title.

Main Text:
Mayo Ladies Senior Football Championship Final

Carnacon 5-25
Kilmovee Shamrocks 1-11

Reported by Peter McCartan at Abbey Park.

Carnacon annexed their 13th Senior Ladies Football title with an emphatic victory over Kilmovee Shamrocks at Mayo Abbey on Saturday afternoon. They have an enviable record of only being beaten once since 1999.

After a couple of early thrusts by the Kilmovee girls in the opening minutes, Carnacon settled into their stride and had 3-5 on the board before Kilmovee raised their first white flag of the encounter. Aoife Brennan and Cora Staunton started the scoring with two early points before Staunton rattled the back of the Kilmovee net twice in the space of a minute. Marie Corbett won a Kilmovee kickout and passed to Staunton to notch her first goal with a blistering shot. A minute later, Corbett was again involved when she linked with the busy Fiona McHale who sent Staunton in for her second goal in the sixth minute. These two goals were quickly followed up with points from Brennan and a Staunton brace to open up a commanding 2-5 to 0-0 after just nine minutes of play.

Kilmovee were dealt another hammer blow in the 11th minute when Doireann Hughes weaved her way through their defence to crack home a fine goal. This left the East Mayo girls with a mountain to climb. To their credit they never stopped trying and eventually got on the scoreboard with a point from Leanne Foley in the 12th minute. Carnacon's response came in the shape of three further points from McHale and Staunton (two). Foley gave the Kilmovee players and faithful supporters something to cheer about in the 14th minute when she got on the end of a pass from Caroline Gorman, who intercepted a Carnacon line ball, and crashed home a sweet goal.

Staunton added another point a minute later, but Kilmovee hit back with two fine points from Michelle Kelly and Sinead Cafferky in a mini revival of sorts. The county champion's response was quick and deadly. Three points from Staunton (two) and Brennan were added before Staunton completed her hat trick of goals with a well struck penalty after McHale was taken down in the small square. The penalty really ended the game as a contest, and after both sides traded a point apiece in the last minutes of the first half, Carnacon took a massive 4-13 to 1-4 half time lead to the dressing rooms.

There was no let up from Carnacon on the resumption with two more points from Staunton and a fine point from play from Martha Carter adding to Kilmovee's misery. Foley, Kelly and Lisa Cafferky managed three more points for the challengers before Carnacon scored their fifth goal in the 38th minute. Martha Carter worked a clever one-two with Doireann Hughes and blasted past Phil Tansey in the Kilmovee goal. It was cruel luck on the Kilmovee custodian who pulled a number of fine saves throughout the game.

Even with an extra player (Fiona McHale being sin binned in the 34th minute), Kilmovee just couldn't break down the well organised Carnacon defence where Marie Corbett was outstanding. Caroline Gorman scored from play for the East Mayo ladies before Staunton and Brennan added three more points to leave Carnacon cantering home by 5-20 to 1-8 by the 48th minute.
The game wound its way to its inevitable end with Carnacon adding further points from Brennan, Michelle Corbett, Staunton and a brace from the impressive McHale. Kilmovee landed three more consolation points from Emer Tansey, Michelle Kelly and Sinead Cafferky before Kevin Corcoran whistled for full time to see Carnacon retain the county title.

Teams:
Carnacon: Michelle Higgins; Nichola Hurst, Noelle Tierney (Capt.), Sharon McGing; Marie Corbett, Aoife Loftus, Erina Flannery; Fiona McHale (0-3), Martha Carer (1-1); Natasha Beegan, Michelle McGing, Doireann Hughes (1-0); Michelle Corbett (0-1), Cora Staunton (3-14, 1-0 pen, 0-6 fr), Aoife Brennan (0-6)
Subs Used: Siobhan Finnerty (for Flannery 56) and Chloe Hurst (for Michelle Corbett 57)

Kilmovee Shamrocks: Phil Tansey; Lorraine Kelly, Deirdre Gordon, Rebecca Towey; Aisling Tarpey, Emer Tansey (0-1), Mary Horan; Sinead Cafferky (Capt. 0-2), Sarah Tyrell; Caroline Gorman (0-1), Michelle Kelly (0-3, 0-2 fr), Lisa Cafferky (0-2); Leanne Foley (1-2), Elaine Duffy, Clare Duffy.
Subs Used: Louise Callaghan (for Lorraine Kelly 41), Angela Gordon (for Aisling Tarpey 51), Sharon Towey (for Caroline Gordon 56) and Emer Grehan (for Michelle Kelly 57).

Referee: Kevin Corcoran (Islandeady)

Player of the Match: Cora Staunton (Carnacon).
The scoring machine that is Cora Staunton did all the damage for the victors. She scored 2-3 inside the first ten minutes, condemning Kilmovee Shamrocks to catch up and damage limitation for the remainder of the game. Finished with an impressive final tally of 3-14.