GLENAMADDY-WILLIAMSTOWN ladies footballers made history by reaching their first ever Connacht final with a win over Charlestown in Claremorris on Saturday. 

Back: Peter Keaveney (management), Mary Fahy (management), Leanne Davis, Susan O'Reilly, Noelle Connolly, Elaine Mitchell, Elaine Nee, Mairead Kenny, Johanna Connolly (captain), Megan Heneghan, Hazel Deane, Niamh Fahy, Patricia Keady (management), Michael Heneghan (management); front: Gail Clarke (P.R.O.), Eilish Gannon, Mary Fahy, Anne Marie Flanagan, Caoimhe Keaveney, Marie Hegarty, Rebecca Kelly, Heather Spellman, Cailiosa Keaveney, Niamh Collins, Claire Gibbons, Roisin Morgan. Missing from photo: Ciara Clarke, Hannah Dolan, Hazel Brogan and Lorna Fallon. PHOTO: ITA HANNON, CONNACHT LADIES FOOTBALL.

Glenamaddy-Williamstown reach first Connacht final

By Billy Coss: At Claremorris

Glenamaddy-Williamstown 5-11

Charlestown 1-9

AN IMPRESSIVE second half proved more than enough for Glenamaddy-Williamstown ladies to see off the challenge of Charlestown and advance to the final of this year's Connacht Intermediate Football Championship.

After putting four goals past Annaghdown in last month's county final, they followed it up with five more in Claremorris on Saturday evening and set up a final with Shannon Gaels from Roscommon.

The scoreline may suggest it was comfortable and while Glenamaddy-Williamstown pulled away emphatically in the final quarter, they didn't have it all their own way. 

It was nip and tuck during the first half and they even trailed at the short whistle, Charlestown leading 1-6 to 2-2. Once they hit their groove after the restart, however, the Galway champions eased away and outscored their opponents by 3-9 to 0-3 in a superb all-round display in the second half.

Anyone following the success of Glenamaddy Community School in recent years won't be surprised to read that Mary Fahy contributed heavily to the winners' tally. The Glenamaddy-Williamstown corner-forward has a sharp eye for goal and gave a demonstration of composed finishing in a haul of 3-4. Beside her Eilish Gannon was a constant threat on Glenamaddy-Williamstown's inside line, scoring four points and showing why she got game time with Galway this year. 

Gannon kicked two early points and her team's first goal arrived on 11 minutes when the full-forward was fouled and county colleague, the excellent Noelle Connolly, showed great presence of mind to fire a quickly-taken close-range free to the net. 

Deirdre Doherty ploughed a lone furrow up front for Charlestown and scored all but one point of her team's total. All but three points of Doherty's 1-8 tally came during the first half and her 22nd minute goal helped the Mayo champions into a three-point lead late in the half.

Fahy earlier spent ten minutes in the sin bin and was followed by Elaine Mitchell meaning Glenamaddy-Williamstown were down two players at one stage until Charlestown's Nora McGovern joined them in sitting out the action.

When Connolly and Gannon combined for the latter to strike the crossbar, Fahy latched onto the loose ball and finished to the net. It was end-to-end stuff and Doherty responded to give Charlestown a slender half-time advantage, 1-6 to 2-2.

The afternoon's key score when Elaine Nee found the net with Glenamaddy-Williamstown's third goal at the end of an incisive Rebecca Kelly run early in the second half. The Michael Heneghan-managed side never looked back from there.

This Glenamaddy-Williamstown team carries plenty of goal threat and also struck woodwork three times when the game was in the melting pot. Nee's goal signalled the start of a Glenamaddy-Williamstown spell from the 37th to 51st minute that brought 2-4 without reply.

Anne Marie Flanagan and Gannon added points from play and two Fahy frees put further daylight between the teams, before Fahy's low finish pushed them 5-8 to 1-8 in front.

The Mayo champions managed a solitary Doherty free in reply before Fahy and Kelly rounded off superb second half as Glenamaddy-Williamstown moved on to a first ever Connacht final.

Teams & Scorers

GLENAMADDY-WILLIAMSTOWN: J. Connolly (captain); C. Gibbons, N. Fahy, H. Deane; R. Morgan, M. Heneghan, C. Keaveney; N. Connolly (1-0, free), R. Kelly (0-2); E. Nee (1-0), A.M. Flanagan (0-1), E. Mitchell; M. Fahy (3-4, 0-2 frees), E. Gannon (0-4), H. Spellman. Subs used: M. Hegarty, S. O'Reilly.

CHARLESTOWN: S. Ruane; C. Halligan, S. Dunleavy (captain), D. McCann; E. Doherty, L. O'Donnell, C. Murphy; K. Crean, R. Ruane; N. McGovern, C. Doherty (0-1), A. Doherty; J. O'Donnell, D. Doherty (1-8, 0-3 frees), K. Finn. Subs used: J. McDonald, O. Duffy, H. Duffy, L. Duffy, C. Loftus.

REFEREE: John Niland (Sligo).