St Mary's denied in extra-time thriller
ST MARY'S 1-10 SALTHILL KNOCKNACARRA 3-8
Just a week after the high of winning the Leitrim Intermediate title, there was extra time heartbreak for St Mary’s as they were denied victory in the Connacht LGFA Junior Club Championship Semi-Final after an extra-time thriller with Salthill Knocknacarra.
Playing away from home in Salthill, the St Mary’s squad looked on course for a famous victory as they led by four point midway through the second half of a tense and low scoring encounter.
However, Salthill struck for 1-1 to take the game to extra time where again St Mary’s opened up a two point gap only for Salthill’s Laura Kelly to cap off a player of the match performance with her second goal to see the Galway side to victory.
It was a tremendous display from the Leitrim side but probably one that will fill them with feelings of “what if” as they really took the game to a rising Salthill Knocknacarra side who are also contesting a Galway County camogie final on Sunday.
Aisling Leahy opened the scoring for St Mary’s with a point just over a minute into Saturday’s contest and Enya McWeeney doubled the lead a minute later. However, St Mary’s good start was undone when Laura Kelly goaled near the four minute mark to give Salthill Knocknacarra a one point advantage.
But St Mary’s response was impressive as the Leitrim side hit back with a goal from full-forward Lorraine Butler after just seven minutes. The tit for tat nature of the game was emphasised as Salthill drew level with points from Aoife and Laura Kelly was the 16th minute.
Aisling Leahy struck for another point before halftime as St Mary’s led 1-3 to 1-2 at the break but the Leitrim side started to open up a gap when Leahy and Leitrim player Sarah Reynolds both struck for points inside the first four minutes of the second half.
Lauren O’Donnell replied with a point for Salthill after 37 minutes but St Mary’s looked as if they were forging a match winning lead when Leahy from a free, hitting her fourth point of the game, and Roisin Kelleher struck for points on 38 and 43 minutes to open up a four point gap.
Salthill, who are taking part in a Galway camogie final on Sunday, hit back with another free from Laura Kelly with nine minutes to go and they dramatically got themselves back level just a minute later when Zainab Rather goaled to tie the scores.
There were no further scores in the rest of the game so it meant the contest went to extra-time. Laura Kelly edged the home team back in front but St Mary’s produced another brilliant spell as first Rachel McGarry tied the scores six minutes into added time.
Then Aisling Leahy, from free and play, fired over two points to put the visitors two up. Another Kelly free cut the gap back to a single point as the first half of extra time came to an end.
Kelly would add another two minutes into the second half of extra time to again leave the teams level but the crucial score came two minutes later when Kelly, her team’s primary scorer, fired the ball to the net to put the Galway team three clear.
Kelly would add a further point just before fulltime to seal a hard fought four point win over the Leitrim champions and book their place in the Connacht Final.
ST MARY’S
Scorers: Aisling Leahy 0-6, 4f; Lorraine Butler 1-0; Enya McWeeney, Roisin Kelleher, Sarah Reynolds, Rachel McGarry 0-1 each
Team: Caroline Guckian, Aine Morgan, Jasmine Maye, Isabelle Chandler, Ellen Woods, Kasey Bruen, Hannah Stenson, Enya McWeeney, Emma Clarke, Elise Bruen, Sarah Reynolds, Rachel McGarry, Aisling Leahy, Lorraine Butler, Roisin Kelleher.
SALTHILL KNOCKNACARRA
Scorers: Laura Kelly 2-6, 4f; Zainab Rather 1-0; Lauren O’Donnell & Aoife Kelly 0-1 each
Team: Aoife Reilly, Sarah Donnellan, Aoife Mullen, Katie Connaughton, Orlaith De Bairead, Rachel Reddington, Meaghan Mulligan, Siobhan Divilly, Ailbhe Finnerty, Aoife Kelly, Daisy O’Connell, Laura Kelly, Emelia Joyce, Alyssa Murray, Aoife Nash. Subs: Zainab Rather; Lauren O’Donnell