Extra effort helps make dream double possible
Tony Fahey, Cumann na mBunscol, presents the Division 2A Girls Perpetual Cup to Olivia Gately and Aoibhe Breheny after St Attracta's beat Behy NS in the county final. Pictures: Michael Donnelly
Extra-time was required to determine a winner in this blockbuster fixture as both sides valiantly battled for the elusive silverware. Ultimately, it was the girls of St Attracta’s, Charlestown who pulled through to make a double success possible, with the school’s boys team playing in their own final in the very next game.
St Attracta’s raced into an early 0-3 to no score lead courtesy of white-flagged efforts from Emily Kenny, Olivia Gately, a free, and Holly Healy.
One sensed that this game was going to be keenly contested when Behy had managed to restore parity by the eleventh minute, through a brace of points from Sarah O’Boyle and a tidy effort by Mia Sheridan.
However, St Attracta’s were beginning to win some crucial breaking ball and the Green and White received the perfect half-time tonic courtesy of Cara McNicholl’s terrific three-pointer.
Trailing 1-4 to 0-3 at the interval, a positive start to the new half was imperative for Behy and the Ballina school did indeed begin the second-half in a sprightly fashion, with two points from Elizabeth McFetridge, including a free, and singles by O’Boyle and Sheridan, which levelled the game after 23 minutes (15 minutes per-half).
As the game ticked into second-half stoppage-time, Behy led by a solitary point (0-9 to 1-5), but Aoibhe Gibson’s dramatic late single for St Attracta’s forced the game into extra-time.
Charlestown torpedoed their opponent’s game plan during the opening exchanges of the first-half of extra-time by notching 4-3 without reply.
A brave Behy did manage to net a late consolation goal, as McFetridge’s superb finish had too much purchase for the Charlestown custodian, but the result was far beyond doubt.
