Sports Stars salute for Mayo's glory day
The Mayo team who won last season's SFAI U16 Girls Inter-League are worthy recipients of the soccer award at next weekend's Western People Mayo Sports Stars.
AbbVie United Park was the setting for Mayo to capture the SFAI U16 Girls Inter-League Cup in 2025, defeating South Belfast in a final of unrivalled drama at the Westport venue.
This being the premier schoolgirls competition in the country, there is no absolutely no doubt that Mayo boasts the premier team as for the majority of this particular group of players it was their third national title in-a-row under three different managers, having won the SFAI Gaynor Trophy at under-14 level and the SFAI Inter-League Cup at under-15 level in 2024.
On this occasion South Belfast were excellent opponents and in fact had an impressive start to the game, with Mayo goalkeeper Lauren Cusack coming to the rescue on more than one occasion.
It looked like the home side had recovered and weathered the storm in the first-half, however, they conceded the game’s opening goal shortly after the restart and then went two-nil down after 50 minutes.
Aoibhinn McNamara launched the comeback with a goal from the penalty spot before a Katie Hughes free-kick, in practically the final act of normal time, sent this game to extra-time with the equalising goal.
Mayo thought they had found a winner through Siofra McGuinness in the first period of extra-time but South Belfast equalised almost instantly, and the game went to penalties.
Mayo were first up in the shootout and Grace Carroll, Katie Hughes, Aoibhinn McNamara and Siofra McGuinness were each perfect in their kicks. South Belfast matched them for the first three but missed their fourth leaving Mayo’s next penalty taker, Ella McLoughlin, with the opportunity to wrap up the victory. Up she stepped and scored her penalty with the same zest as the previous four, leaving Mayo winners 5-3 on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
With the wins at U14 and U15 levels done so under the management of Michael Collins and Sinead Mulhern respectively, the masterminds of this particular success were the double-act of Emma Gibbons and Kian Flanagan.
