Five-goal blitz sees Carrick CS crowned Connacht PPS Junior Champions

Carrick on Shannon Community School were crowned Lidl Connacht PPS Junior B champions after an emphatic 5-09 to 2-08 victory over Ballyhaunis Community School in Swinford Amenities Park on Friday afternoon.

The air was freezing around the park, and two goals early in the second half from Carrick on Shannon’s Caragh Guckian and top scorer Lucie Maye cooled a mounting Ballyhaunis comeback, sealing victory for the Leitrim team.

Carrick on Shannon never had the air of a team that would lose. From the moment the ball was thrown in, they had the upper hand with impressive link-up play up front, opening up Ballyhaunis in the first half before superior pace did so again in the second.

Two free kicks from centre forward Lucie Maye in the first five minutes got them moving before she provided the assist for their opening goal when she won a kickout, quickly giving a beautifully weighted pass to Eibhlin Guckian over the top of the Ballyhaunis defence, who put the ball over the retreating Ballyhaunis keeper.

Ballyhaunis struggled to move the ball out of their defence early on as the likes of Mabel Keane and Katie O’Brien bossed the middle for Carrick on Shannon, both turning suppliers as Maye hit another two points from play to give them a 1-4 to 0-0 lead after ten minutes.

When Ballyhaunis did get out in this time, they were unlucky, with star midfielder Emily Duffy dropping a shot short before centre forward Erin Higgins hit the post and had a shot on goal saved by Carrick on Shannon’s goalkeeper Ceili Mollahan.

Duffy hit a stellar point from 30 metres to open the scoring for Ballyhaunis after 14 minutes.

They threatened the Carrick on Shannon goal soon after as they launched a dangerous counterattack, which was snuffed out by an interception from wingback Isibeal Dowd.

READ MORE: Sinking Leitrim estate horror as families live with raw sewage and environmental fears

Carrick played an attractive brand of total football going forward, using good, fast running on the break, vision, and well-placed kick passes to find their way through the Ballyhaunis defence.

Maye hit another point on the break before Duffy matched it for Ballyhaunis after a free was awarded for a foul on Niamh Delaney 25 metres out from the Carrick on Shannon goal.

The Mayo side threatened the goal again when a nice fist pass from centre forward Erin Higgins found Aoife Burke on the edge of the square. She sent a shot for the roof of the net, but it was just a foot too high and flew over for a point.

They had momentum but failed to capitalise as a free kick fell short to Ceili Mollahan, and a shot from Duffy went wide of the post.

Carrick on Shannon found space in behind the Ballyhaunis defence time and again in the first half, as they got sucked out to the halfway line, leaving open space in behind for the pacy Carrick on Shannon forwards to exploit.

Carrick on Shannon hit back with their second goal after a long kick from defence found Chloe Connellan, who supplied another perfect kick over the top of the stretched Ballyhaunis defence. 

The pass found Alannagh McKiernan, who ate up the open road in front of her before smashing the ball into the roof of the Ballyhaunis net.

The Carrick school added another point via a Lucie Maye free before Duffy did the same to get one back for Ballyhaunis.

The game came to life just before half-time when Aoife Burke took on a swarm of Carrick defenders, passing over the top to a teammate who was taken down in the square for a penalty. Burke slotted the penalty into the right side of the net off a calm two-step run-up to give them some momentum heading into the dressing room.

For the dominance in attack that Carrick on Shannon showed in the first half, Ballyhaunis will have been happy that the deficit at half-time was only four points, and they began the second by cutting it again when a shot from Erin Higgins bounced off the crossbar and over the bar.

The comeback was short-lived, however, as Carrick hit back with their third goal as Mabel Keane launched a hard run through the middle of the defence before passing to Lucie Maye, who squared across to Caragh Guckian, who finished a great team move.

READ MORE: Extra exam time for students with dyslexia a ‘huge step forward,’ says Leitrim councillor

Guckian added a point just after, and a Lucie Maye free increased their lead.

Ballyhaunis captain Ruby Coggin and centre back Robyn Keane operated well at the back, cutting out dangerous attacks as Carrick’s confidence grew.

 However, the Leitrim team were in the ascendancy as a long ball inside was taken by Lucie Maye, who went past the full back and slotted the ball into the bottom corner for Carrick on Shannon’s fourth.

Emily Duffy and Lucie Maye traded points again before Ceili Mollahan got out well to stop a goal chance, which fell to Abbie Gildea.

Superior pace was beginning to show as Carrick on Shannon got forward in numbers, creating overloads and clear chances, which paid off as quick hands put Eibhlin Guckian through for her second goal of the game.

The die was cast on the game, but Ballyhaunis never gave in, and Emily Duffy won their second penalty of the game, which was again converted by a cool, calm, and collected Aoife Burke.

Aibhe Donnellan and Duffy both added another point before Lucie Maye rounded out the game with a pointed free as Carrick on Shannon were crowned Connacht champions and booked their place in the All-Ireland series.

Carrick on Shannon CS

(St Mary’s Kiltoghert unless otherwise stated) Ceili Mollahan; Edie Keane; Beibhinn Flynn; Sadhbh O’Dowd; Isibeal Dowd (Shannon Gaels); Jane Hanrahan; Lily McWeeney (Allen Gaels); Eibhlin Guckian; Katie O’Brien; Alannah McKiernan (Kilmore); Lucie Maye; Mabel Keane; Chloe Connellan (Kilmore); Caragh Guckian; Ornaith Guckian. Subs: Eadaoin Devaney for Sadhbh O’Dowd (56).

Scorers: Lucie Maye 1-7; Eibhlin Guckian 2-0; Alannagh McKiernan 1-0; Caragh Guckian 1-1. 

Ballyhaunis

Katie Conlon; Méabh Scally; Ruby Coggins; Amy Waldron; Emily Gannon; Robyn Keane; Bella Mae Goulding; Sarah Gorman; Emily Duffy; Abbie Gildea; Erin Higgins; Niamh Delaney; Erin Casey; Aoife Burke; Aibe Donnellan. Subs: Lauren Henry for Bella Mae Goulding (44); Sarah Bree Byrne for Abbie Gildea (45).

Scorers: Emily Duffy 0-5,3f; Aoife Burke 2-1, 2p; Erin Higgins 0-1; Aibhe Donnellan 0-1.