Party time for young Lankill ladies
The Lankill team who defeated Partry NS in the Division 4 Girls final. Picture: Michael Donnelly
Lankill National School secured a memorable Cumann na mBunscol county title with a hard-fought victory over St Mary’s National School, Partry, at MacHale Park on Tuesday.
Having been pushed to the limit in a tough semi-final against Aughalasheen, Lankill arrived at the county final well-prepared and full of confidence. The girls in green and white made a strong start, taking the lead with an excellently finished goal by Áine Hughes. They continued to play bright, inventive football and doubled their advantage in the 10th minute when Sophie Collins unleashed a powerful strike into the net. Jennifer McGuire then added a third goal, giving Lankill a commanding 3-2 to 0-2 lead at half-time, with Laoíse Heneghan the scorer of both points by St Mary’s.
Partry did receive a timely boost four minutes into the second-half when Sarah Foley’s speculative long-range effort sailed into the net. Buoyed by the goal, the South Mayo school enjoyed their best spell of the game, with Laoíse Heneghan landing another two points to narrow the gap further. However, Lankill showed great composure and resilience to withstand the challenge. They dug deep and held firm until the final whistle, sparking joyous celebrations as they claimed a historic title.
Lankill NS: Holly Vahey, Róisín O’Malley, Abbie Collins (0-4), Sophie Collins (1-0), Áine Hughes (1-1, 0-1f), Jennifer McGuire (1-0), Fia Hastings Feehan, Ruby Healy, Jessica Scahill, Ava Collins.
St Mary’s NS, Partry: Nyree Byrne, Sarah Foley (1-0), Róise Keaveney, Bronwyn Kelly, Roisín Bonner, Jessica Shaughnessy Nee, Amelia Strugacz, Laoíse Heneghan (0-4, 2f), Heidi Finnerty, Kate Hennelly, Oilibhia Staunton, Nyrée Byrne.
REF: Mel Kenny
