St Ciarans’ Girls Reach All Ireland Final

Tuesday 07.03.2017

Ladies Football

Lidl All Ireland PPS Under 20 semi-final

St Ciarans’ Ballygawley 5-4

Scoil Chriost Ri 1-11

A storming twenty minutes that saw Ulster champions St Ciaran’s score five goals in the end proved to be enough for them to book their place in their first all Ireland under 20 final. Portlaiose side Scoil Chroist Ri’s second half fight back though made things nervous for the Ballygawley side.

St Ciaran’s were slow to get off the mark , not on the scoresheet until the end of the first quarter they led 3-3 to 0-3 by the break. Sharpshooter Chloe McCaffrey rattled in 1-1 cancelling out early scores from the Leinster champions Erone Fitzpatrick and Grainne Moran. Mc Caffrey’s second goal came after a great team move before Maria Canavan’s 0-2 and an opportune Tara O’Hagan goal opened the gap to nine points.

By the tenth minute of the second half it was 5-4 to 1-4, Moran slotted home a Scoil Chroist Ri penalty but that’s when the game changed. St Ciaran’s struggled to get out of their own half and with some of the softest of frees Scoil Chriost Ri closed the gap. They tagged on scores, Fitzpatrick, Issy O’Toole and Lawlor on target before Moran missed a second penalty and Ballygawley had Shannon Stevenson sin binned .

It proved to be a difficult final ten minute spell as St Ciaran’s produced a stunning defensive display. Orla Mulgrew, Saorla Mullin, Cloideach Donaghy, Grainne Mc Kenna and player of the match Meabh Corrigan were superb with Corrigan making two stops on the line too in the latter stages.

St Ciarans’: Chloe McCaffrey 3-2, Maria Canavan 1-2, Tara O’Hagan 1-0

Scoil Chriost Ri : Erone Fitzpatrick 0-6, Grainne Moran 1-1, Issy O’Toole 0-2, Jennifer O’Neill 0-1, Emma Lawlor 0-1