Brilliant St Brigid's storm to AIB Connacht LGFA Junior Club title with devastating display

St Brigid’s produced a stunning and dominant display on Saturday at Swinford Amenity Park as the Leitrim Champions added the AIB Connacht Junior Club title to their collection with a comprehensive eight point victory over Sligo’s Shamrock Gaels.​

In a weird way, the eight point margin of victory doesn’t adequately reflect the dominance of St Brigid’s on Saturday as Shamrock Gaels keeper Mairead Tuohy made a series of wonder saves to deny the Leitrim side certain goals on at least three occasions, goals that would have been a more accurate reflection on the game.

St Brigid’s got off to a blistering start, scoring an unanswered 1-3 in the opening nine minutes and not even the concession of two goals in the space of a minute against Shamrock Gaels, the Sligo team briefly taking the lead late in the first half, could upset their rhythm or dominance as the Leitrim champions hit two points before the break to regain the lead.

With just a point between the teams at the break, Shamrock Gaels drew level early in the second half but when Aileen Maguire was fouled for a penalty 12 minutes in, the corner-forward picked herself up and almost nonchalantly rolled the ball into the right hand corner and with that, the game was as good as over as St Brigid’s never looked like letting it slip from there.

Shamrock Gaels, to their credit, made life extremely difficult with both teams doing well if they got repeated possession off kickouts but as the game progressed, St Brigid’s greater cohesion, defensive solidity and lung bursting long runs from Player of the Match Dearbhla Gunn and Carla Le Guen saw them kill off the Sligo challenge at their ease.

Truth be told, were it not for the heroics of Shamrock Gaels keeper Tuohy and an amazing block from full-back Ellie McDermott, the Leitrim side would have been far more comfortable winners. The Sligo side got their three goals in a six minute spell in the first half but apart from that, St Brigid’s defence dealt admirably with everything that came their way with corner-backs Edel Shanley and Aoife Sammon particularly outstanding in a well drilled defensive unit.

As much as St Brigid’s forwards deservedly take the plaudits, the foundation for victory was laid further back with the Brigid’s midfield never allowing Shamrock Gaels to build up any sustained pressure on their defence while the defensive unit stood tall, Edel Shanley doing a great job in containing the threat of the Gaels’ Orlaith Scanlon while Aoife Sammon’s positioning and reading of the game cut out dangerous attacks time and time again.

Picking the Player of the Match was a tough one because Shanley & Sammon along with Carla Le Guen, Lisa Cull, Siomha Quinn and top scorer Aileen Maguire were equally impressive, Gunn’s tireless running and tackling getting her the nod. Maguire’s accuracy and power soon had Shamrock Gaels supporters remarking that she couldn’t be stopped and that was certainly true for much of the game.

Shamrock Gaels’ Ellie McDermott was moved to mark Maguire, reducing her impact but that left more room for the hard running and tireless graft of Siomha Quinn and Carla Le Guen, the variety of threats something that the Sligo team were never able to get to grips with.

St Brigid’s now have an All-Ireland Semi-Final on the weekend of November 28-29, to prepare for – they won’t know their opponents for quite a bit of time with the winners of the preliminary quarter final between Oisín CLG of Manchester and Brussels Croabh Rua next Saturday, November 7, then facing the Ulster champions, Ederney of Fermanagh taking on Tyrone’s Sperrin Ogs also next Saturday. Should either the British or European side prevail, St Brigid’s will have home advantage but if the Ulster champions prevail, it will be a road trop for the Connacht champions.

St Brigid’s laid down an early marker of their intent when Siomha Quinn & Lisa Cull combined to release Aileen Maguire for her first point, quickly followed when the Leitri side turned over the kickout and Siomha Quinn off-loaded to the chief score for a good point.

Shamrock Gaels enjoyed a good spell of possession but only produced a wide from Jane Benson and a much more economical St Brigid’s made their pay just eight minutes in, Carle Le Guen’s strong run cutting through before feeding Maguire for a fine finish to the Gaels net.

St Brigid’s, as they would all day, did well off the Shamrock Gaels’ kickout, the ball worked into Maguire who hooked an excellent shot over the bar to leave the Leitrim standard bearers 1-3 to no score ahead after less than ten minutes.

Lisa Cull hit St Brigid’s first wide seconds later but it was the Sligo team who were missing chances, Leah Mullaney, Orlaith Scanlon and Penny Barlow all missing good chances, albeit it Barlow’s second missed chance hit the post but was taken back for advantage, Scanlon firing over the free on 15 minutes.

A minute later, Shamrock Gaels gave their challenge a huge jolt of energy when Leah Mullaney won the ball out the field, a few quick passes resulting in a shot saved by Maeve Quinn but the rebound was flicked on to Orla Devaney who palmed the ball to the Brigid’s net.

That was a big blow but St Brigid’s reacted in the manner of champions as they wiped out the goal over the next five minutes and were unlucky not to have found the net. Siomha Quinn, with advantage being played, broke through a tackle to point before a Le Guen run from deep set up Maguire for her fourth point of the game.

Siomha Quinn set up Lisa Cull for a goal chance but Shamrock Gaels keeper Mairead Tuohy made a fabulous, the first of many, to deny her a goal with Siomha Quinn tapping over on 20 minutes.

But then the game went mad as Shamrock Gaels hit the net twice in under a minute - the Sligo side put together a wonderful intricate move, quick short passes opening up the Brigid’s defence before Penny Barlow struck a lovely shot to the net.

Shamrock Gaels quickly added a third goal, a long ball into Orlaith Scanlon seeing the Gaels’ danger woman find Devaney for an expertly taken goal and the lead for the Sligo side.

St Brigid’s attempted to respond in kind but Aileen Maguire saw a shot blocked before Tuohy made an excellent save from Siomha Quinn, a brilliant pass from Maguire setting up the chance before Quinn and Maguire set up Carla Le Guen for an equalising point.

Three minutes before halftime, patient play from the Leitrim champions resulted in Dearbhla Gunn firing over and despite two wides, St Brigid’s held a 1-8 to 3-1 halftime lead.

The second half didn’t get off to the same rate of scoring with St Brigid’s introducing Caoimhe Cullen and Rachel McNiff at the break and it was Shamrock Gaels who made the slightly better start, Aileen Maguire firing narrowly wide with a goal effort before Scanlon pointed a free on four minutes.

Good work from Lisa Cull set up Siomha Quinn for a point but a good team move ended with Naomh Quinn firing over for the Sligo side to tie the scores six minutes into the second half. St Brigid’s were close to a couple of scores, Cullen get a touch to a pass back to the keeper but the ball ran wide.

The decisive moment came 12 minutes into the second half, a long ball gathered by Aileen Maguire who was then in a heavy collision with keeper Mairead Tuohy. After picking herself up off the ground, Maguire rolled the ball calmly into the bottom right hand corner, giving Tuohy no chance.

Shamrock Gaels almost had an instant response, Scanlon hooking a shot towards the left hand corner only for Maeve Quinn to make a comfortable save. St Brigid’s broke, Dearbhla Gunn’s piercing run releasing Le Guen only for Ellie McDermott to make a vital block on the goal bound shot.

Nola Eivers pulled back a point for the Gaels but St Brigid’s were beginning to take over again, Tuohy making a good save to deny Maguire a hat-trick goal only for Le Guen to point. Good work from Siomha Quinn set up Maguire for a point before Lisa Cull drove over the bar, a goal briefly on after Tuohy had spilled the ball.

That left St Brigid’s five points clear with more than eight minutes left but an increasingly dominant St Brigid’s controlled the game and restricted Shamrock Gaels attack. Le Guen and Maguire both added points, Tuohy again preventing a Maguire goal before Le Guen pounced for another.

Shamrock Gaels never gave up and sub Simone Moss saw a shot saved by Maeve Quinn before Barlow fired over in added time. Aileen Maguire brought her tally to 2-7 for the day two minutes into added time before Scanlon and a surging Gunn swapped points.

The game did, however, end on a sour note with a straight red card for St Brigid’s sub Rachel McNiff for taking down a Shamrock Gaels attacker but it didn’t dampen the celebrations as St Brigid’s were crowned Connacht Junior Club champions.

ST BRIGID’S

Scorers: Aileen Maguire 2-7, pen; Carla Le Guen 0-5; Siomha Quinn 0-3; Dearbhla Gunn 0-2; Lisa Cull 0-1

Team: Maeve Quinn, Edel Shanley, Ciara McTeigue, Aoife Sammon, Ciara Gaffney, Eimhin Quinn, Niamh McNiffe, Dearbhla Gunn, Niamh Donegan, Rachel Dolan, Carla Le Guen, Eadaoin McTeigue, Aileen Maguire, Siomha Quinn, Lisa Cul. Subs: Rachel McNiff & Caoimhe Cullen for E McTeigue & Dolan (HT); Ella Quinn for E Quinn (64)

SHAMROCK GAELS

Scorers: Orla Devaney 2-0; Penny Barlow 1-1; Orlaith Scanlon 0-3, 3f; Naomh Quinn & Nola Eivers 0-1 each

Team: Mairead Tuohy, Leanne Gavin, Ellie McDermott, Leah Mullaney, Ava Lyons, Aoibhinn Conlon, Louise Merrick, Siobhan Brennan, Ciara Gilligan, Penny Barlow, Naomh Quinn, Jade Lyons, Orla Devaney, Jane Benson, Orlaith Scanlon. Subs: Amy Healy for J Lyons (HT); Simone Moss & Molly Kearns Chapman for A Lyons & S Brennan (59)

Referee: Colm Conway (Galway)