Five-star Mayo girls lift the title

Connacht LGFA U14 ‘B’ Final 

Mayo 5-16 

Sligo 0-4 

At Connacht CoE, Bekan

Mayo put in a performance that matched the stunning weather in Bekan last Saturday as they steamrolled Sligo to win the Connacht U14 ‘B’ final.

Despite a slow start, the game was effectively over at halftime as Mayo hit 2-6 in the final ten minutes of the first-half to put the result beyond doubt even at that point.

That did not look likely after 20 minutes as Mayo led only by two, 0-4 to 0-2, with Sligo putting it up to the Green and Red.

Once Emily Coleman hit the net, however, the floodgates were opened. Shauna Breslin and Mikayla McLoughlin both found their range and Coleman hit the net again on the stroke of half-time to make it 2-10 to 0-2, a scoreline that could have made even worse reading were it not a combination of the woodwork and some fine goalkeeping by Sligo’s Ivana McMahon.

Any hint that Mayo would let their foot off the gas was well and truly squashed as Coleman completed her hat-trick on 39 minutes in the best move of the match, which also involved Breslin, McLoughlin and Ella Connell.

Substitutes Emma Sheridan (two), Niamh Hegarty and Aoife Morrin kept the scoreboard ticking and Morrin netted Mayo’s fourth goal after Hegarty hit the post, but the latter would get her goal later on after Rhea Gostick was also denied by the woodwork.

Mayo now advance to the All-Ireland series, which commences on Saturday, May 4.

Scorers – Mayo: Emily Coleman 3-1, Shauna Breslin 0-5 (4f), Niamh Hegarty and Aoife Morrin 1-0 each, Mikayla McLoughlin 0-3, Riona Kelly (1f) and Emma Sheridan 0-2 each, Ella Connell, Kayleigh Casey and Anna Burton 0-1 each.

Sligo: Aoibhín Doherty 0-3 (1f), Ciara O’Brien 0-1.

Mayo: Isabelle Duffy; Lucy McDermott, Aoife Gannon, Dena Bradley; Emily Higgins, Leah McNamara, Erin Higgins; Riona Kelly, Saoirse Donohoe; Sophie Moran, Shauna Breslin,, Kazu Sangare; Ella Connell, Emily Coleman, Mikayla McLoughlin. Subs: Rachel McGrath, Doireann Moffatt, Lily Hurst, Carragh Keane, Emma Sheridan, Anna Burton, Niamh Walsh, Emily Gavin, Kayleigh Casey, Niamh Hegarty, Eve Ruane, Claire Hegarty, Aoife Morrin, Rhea Gostick.

Sligo: Ivana McMahon; Lauren Hayes, Riona Dooner, Katelin, Donovan; Chloe McDonagh, Ellie Langan, Bailey Gallagher; Katie Hession, Aoibhín Doherty; Andrea Corcoran, Ava Gallagher, Eimear Coyle; Kellie Gallagher, Hope O’Brien, Ciara O’Brien. Subs: Líle Kelly, Chloe McDonagh, Clodagh Galvin, Lauren Hayes, Sinéad Kelly, Holly Deehan.