Short stay in junior ends for Swinford-Killasser
Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin’s Leah Conway stands alone with her thoughts as Swinford-Killasser players celebrate at the final whistle of the Mayo LGFA Junior Championship final at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park last Sunday. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
Swinford-Killasser have bounced back to intermediate at the first time of asking after a hard-fought county junior ladies championship final victory over Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin at MacHale Park.
It was the first of two ladies finals at Mayo GAA HQ on Sunday and this warm-up act set a very high standard for the main headliner to live up to. Both sides were in this game until the closing 10 minutes when Swinford put themselves in the driving seat and Parke could find no way back.
Swinford-Killasser were the arguable favourites having dropped down from intermediate last year but they were right up against it from the off against this year’s Division 3 winners. Leah Conway scored 1-2 in the opening four minutes to get the Black and Amber motoring. It was a point, a free and a well-built goal for the Parke forward.
She was open in space near the Swinford goal and though the chance looked to have passed her team by, Connie Barrett kept the move alive with a soccer style pass into space. Gracie O’Brien gathered, found Conway and though the opposing keeper Aoife Groarke clung onto her for dear life, trying to prevent her from finishing, Conway slotted the ball into the net.
The goal sparked Swinford into life and points followed for Sarah Rowley and Caitlin Henry, who hammered over when a goal looked on. Nollaig Blake scored for Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin to put them four points up but they would then ship 1-5 without reply to cede control of the game.
Regina Mullaney scored 1-2 of this tally, slotting over a point and then a goal that was well crafted by Briana Fallon. Henry and Rhona Brennan added further points before Mullaney struck again, prior to Melissa Devaney’s point, to make it a four point game once more, this time in favour of Swinford.
The two sides traded the next couple of scores with Fallon replying to points for Leah Conway and Caoimhe Harte. Conway scored again before Emma Walsh added Parke’s second goal to keep it level. Fallon scored her third of the half to edge Swinford back in front before the half-time whistle.
The second-half was not the helter-skelter affair the first was and although Emma Walsh levelled it up in the first minute, scoring was more sporadic.
After 40 minutes, Conway scored another free to put Parke ahead but Rhona Brennan quickly cancelled it out up the other end. The game was finely poised but a quickfire, two-point sucker punch put Parke ahead as Eimear O’Donnell and Conway pointed.
Swinford dug deep and found the purple patch they needed to seize control of the game. Regina Mullaney’s free gave them a burst of momentum which saw Briana Fallon take the game by the scruff of the neck. She fired into the back of the net to put her team in front and added a point from close range to put them three in front.
Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin huffed and puffed and conjured up two points to cut the gap to a single through the superb Conway and Laura Walsh but fell short looking for an equaliser.
Rhona Brennan fired over at the other end, her third of the game, to give Swinford slightly more breathing room and they held out for the victory.
Scorers – Swinford-Killasser: Briana Fallon 1-4 (1f), Regina Mullaney 1-3 (1f), Rhona Brennan 0-3, Caitlin Henry 0-2, Melissa Devaney and Sarah Rowley 0-1 each.
Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin: Leah Conway 1-7 (0-3f), Megan Davitt 1-1, Caoimhe McHale, Nollaig Blake, Laura Walsh and Eimear O’Donnell 0-1 each.
Swinford-Killasser: Aoife Groarke; Amy Dunleavy, Orla Mullaney, Laura McLoughlin; Emily Rowley, Aisling Hyland, Melissa Devaney; Ella Gallagher, Anna Tierney; Niamh Casey, Caitlin Henry, Rhona Brennan; Sarah Rowley, Briana Fallon, Regina Mullaney. Subs: Hazel Lavin (for S Rowley 39), Claudine Brennan (for Tierney 55).
Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin: Anne Reilly; Saoirse Harte, Rachael Kelly, Lindsay McInerney; Caoimhe Harte, Caoimhe McHale, Connie Barrett; Nollaig Blake, Alannah Kelly; Gracie O’Brien, Laura Walsh, Katie Lynch; Leah Conway, Emma Walsh, Megan Davitt. Subs: Eimear O’Donnell (for Davitt ht), Saoirse Donohue (for O’Brien 48).
REF: Rory Courell
