Cup joy for Croi Ro ladies

CROI Ro Naofa completed a double in ladies football after they beat an up-and-coming St Anne’s team 3-12 to 0-8 to raise the Division Eight Cup in Bohernabreena.

Looking to follow up on their recent championship success, Croi Ro found themselves locked in a tight first-half battle with their hosts and it was only a goal by Jessie Wall just prior to the break that gave them the edge heading into the second period.

Indeed, Anne’s were made pay the price for a number of missed attempts throughout the opening half and into the second.

It was Ava Barnes who supplied the bulk of their scores before the recess, with three points from frees and another from play while Katie Maher also struck over.

Suzie Murray was just as effective from the placed ball for Croi Ro, chalking up six points by the close of proceedings.

Anne’s did go close to taking a strong grip on the tie late in the first half, but Leah Kirwan’s effort found only the side-netting before, minutes later, Katie Callery burst through the Croi Ro defence and unleashed a strike that came back off the crossbar.

But just as the homeside threatened a goal, it was the visitors who found the back of the net when Jessie Wall applied the finishing touch to a swift counter, looping the ball over the reach of goalkeeper, Alannah Anderson to help see her side up 0-5 to 1-5 by the break.

Despite misssing out on the Division Eight Cup, St Anne’s will draw a lot of encouragement from this season

Still, it looked as though Anne’s had regained their composure upon the resumption of the game as they reduced their arrears to just a solitary point after both Mya Claire and Caragh Jones struck over.

But, yet again, the visitors struck just when their opponents appeared to be in the ascendancy, this time Lauren McDonald rattling the net after she won a kick-out and charged back in from 30 yards to open up a four-point gap.

Anne’s struggled to recover from that despite gaining more of a foothold in midfield when Abaigh Pollock took up more of that central role.

Croi kept the scoreboard ticking over compliments of Lucy Parkins and Nicola Browne before Cherie Kavanagh nailed the lid shut on any prospect of an Anne’s comeback when she fired home her side’s third goal.

The win capped a great season for the Killinarden side who, in addition to their cup and championship double, finished runners-up in Division Eight to Na Gaeil Óga.

And Anne’s, themselves, will draw a lot of encouragement from their progress this year, finishing third in table and reaching the cup decider.