Gaels clinch Championship at the death
ST JAMES Gaels claimed the New Ireland Assurance Junior G Ladies Football Championship title with the help of an injury time free from Joanne Prender-gast that saw them edge out Erin’s Isle 1-8 to 2-4 in St Margaret’s GAA Club on Friday evening.
The Finglas side looked to have taken the game to extra time with a stunning goal from Jade Callery in stoppage time, but were left devastated at the final whistle.
St James Gaels struck late to edge out Erin's Isle
Gaels got off to the perfect start when a shot by Joanne Prendergast after a quick exchange of passes with Robyn Tysom cannoned back off the crossbar and Gaels Leanne Byrne was quickest to react, smashing the ball to the top right hand corner of the net after which Catriona Fitzgerald clipped over a nice point.
Erin’s Isle needed a score to settle into the game and got the perfect fill-up in the seventh minute when a speculative effort from Emma Quinn ended up in the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
The Finglas outfit had their tails up and pushed up on the restart, Megan Thomas winning the ball before passing inside to Jade Gallery. She picked out Emma Quinn who was fouled, Thomas converting and the sides were level.
Neither team troubled the scoreboard for the next 16 minutes, but Erins Isle fin-ally broke the the scoreless passage when Katie Duggan split the posts with a fine effort.
Catriona Fitzgerald then struck a fine point to give Gaels a one-point lead at the break.
And they maintained that momentum after the recess when Niamh O’Sullivan, carved out enough space to get her shot away for a point before Joanne Prendergast pushed that lead out to three in the 40th minute.
A nice point from Samantha Jameson helped reduce the deficit to just a single point only to see Hannah Kavanagh swing the ball over the bar in response.
In the final minute of normal time the Crumlin outfit were awarded a free, from which O’Sullivan eventually split the posts leaving three points between the sides heading into injury time.
But after Isles won a free, Jade Callery unleashed a rocket that nestled into the top right corner of the net despite the efforts of the players on the line.
Extra time looked to be on the cards, but there was just enough time for one more piece of drama that came when Aishling Whelan was fouled and Joanne Prendergast held her nerve to swing the free over the bar and edge her team back in front just before the final whistle.
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