Clinical Glencar Manor turn on the style in the second half

Trailing by a goal at the break of Friday's Gotham Dry Wall LGFA Minor Championship 15-a-side Final in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada, a superb Glencar Manorhamilton turned up the heat in the second half to blow their St Mary's opponent away.

Glencar Manorhamilton know how to win and they showed that in this contest, riding out an early St Mary's storm before upping the intensity in the second half to storm to a deserved victory. But St Mary's will have plenty of regrets over this one with some bad misses when on top

The Carrick girls were good value for their halftime lead and probably should have been much further ahead but they had no answer as Glencar Manor came out of the dressing rooms with far greater intensity and application. It showed immediately with Megan Rooney grabbing two goals in the first six minutes of the second half to turn that three point deficit into a five point lead and once they got that sort of lead, Glencar Manor were never going to be caught.

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It has to be said that their cause was aided when St Mary's lost Anna Keane to the sin-bin midway through the second half and the champions took full advantage, scoring three goals in a devastating counter attacking four minute spell to completely kill off the game.

But the clinical efficiency and know-how of Manor was the real difference between the teams as Manor displayed a killer instinct St Mary's could only envy.

Emer Keaney and Megan Rooney stood out in attack for Glencar Manorhamilton, Lauren Devaney was superb at the heart of the defence while  midfield duo Anna & Grace Devaney ruled the roost with Anna getting the nod. 

For St Mary's, keeper Rebecca O'Neill could not be faulted and looks a player with huge potential as does Zara Cronin while Emmanuella Peter-Olabiyi, Millie Keane, Roisin Kelleher and Maria Faughnan had some good moments

Micaela Gallagher for St Mary's and Amelie McGrath for Glencar Manor swapped early points before Aine McLaughlin blasted a goal chance over the bar. Both sides had missed, St Mary's the more guilty before Allie Reynolds' won the ball to set up Ellie Butler for a good point on ten minutes.

From the kickout, St Mary's won the ball back and Butler got it to Maria Faughnan who showed great footwork to dodge the keeper for a great goal.

Barely had the cheers died down and Glencar Manor had the ball in the Mary's net - keeper Rebecca O'Neill made a spectacular diving save to deny Emma Fox a goal but Megan Rooney was on hand to blast the rebound to the net despite O'Neill's efforts.

Faughnan and Emer Keaney swapped points as St Mary's were creating chances but missing them and a free from Keaney put them back in front after 18 minutes. Manor were also missing goal chances with Amelie McGrath shooting wide before Micaela Gallagher finished off a great move with a fine point.

A long ball to Fox was worked back to McGrath for a fine point but a strong run from Maria Faughnan saw her get the ball to Emmanuela Peter-Olabiyi who spun and fired to the net from close range. Roisin Kelleher added a point but St Mary's should have had a third goal when Gallagher saw her point blank shot cannon off the post and go wide.

Action from the Gotham Dry Wall LGFA Minor Championship 15-a-side Final Picture: Willie Donnellan

Glencar Manor also hit the woodwork when Aine McLaughlin looked certain to goal, leaving St Mary's with a 2-5 to 1-5 halftime lead.

Glencar Manor were a different team in the second half, Rebecca O'Neill making a good save from Amelie McGrath's shot but after a block on Grace Devaney's goalbound shot, Megan Rooney sidefooted to the net to tie the scores.

Emer Keaney fired over two quick frees and before St Mary's knew what hit them, a quick free found Rooney charging through unmarked and she blasted to the Mary's net before the seventh minute had elapsed.

St Mary's tried to respond but Lauren Devaney executed a brilliant block on a Gallagher shot and St Mary's challenge took a big blow when Anna Keane mistimed a tackle as Glencar Manor broke away resulting in a yellow card and ten minutes in the sin-bin and Keaney converted the free.

 With a water break, St Mary's had an opportunity to steady themselves but Glencar Manor know when to strike and they did so in deadly fashion. Aine McLaughlin tapped home from close range after a cross across the face of goal.

Two minutes later, a long ball over the top found the St Mary's defence horribly exposed and Emma Fox finished with admirable clinicalness. Keaney added a free before a strong run from Keaney set up Fox for a second goal in the space of just two minutes.

Credit Carrick, they held Glencar Manor scoreless for the remainder of the contest as both teams ran their bench. Roisin Kelleher converted a free before good work from Kelleher and Cronin set up sub Isobel Lowe for an excellently taken goal.

Lowe was unlucky not to grab another goal with a shot coming off the post while she had another shot saved by the keeper with two points from Gallagher and Kelleher finishing off the scoring with Glencar Manorhamilton safely holding onto their title once more.

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GLENCAR MANORHAMILTON

Scorers: Megan Rooney 3-0; Emer Keaney 0-6, 5f; Emma Fox 2-0; Aine McLaughlin 1-1; Amelie McGrath 0-2

Team: Aoibh Treanor, Mia Connolly, Lauren Devaney, Katelyn Gilgunn, Amy Malone, Sarah McGagh, Elaine Gaffney, Anna Devaney, Grace Devaney, Erin Rooney, Megan Rooney, Amelie McGrath, Emma Fox, Emer Keaney, Aine McLaughlin. Subs: Sinead Brady for E Rooney (53); Shauna Fallon for Treanor (54); Freya McGrath, Molly Cullen & Elle McMorrow for Keaney, Malone & Fox (57)

ST MARY’S KILTOGHERT

Scorers: Maria Faughnan 1-1; Roisin Kelleher (f) & Micaela Gallagher 0-3 each; Emmanuela Peter-Olabiyi & Isobel Lowe 1-0 each; Ellie Butler 0-1

Team: Rebecca O’Neill, Mairead Lowe, Millie Keane, Elodie Gozonnet Maye, Allie Reynolds, Emma Clarke, Anna Keane, Ruby Lowe, Blaithin McCrann, Emmanuella Peter-Olabiyi, Roisin Kelleher, Ellie Butler, Maria Faughnan, Micaela Gallagher, Zara Cronin. Subs: Caireann O’Grady for M Lowe (HT); Isobel Lowe for Faughnan (53)

Referee: Kieran Moran