Catriona McConnell magic seals the deal for Donaghmoyne
A dominant first-half display provided the platform for victory against Dublin’s Foxrock-Cabinteely and McConnell, who took a year out from inter-county fare with Monaghan in 2016, finished with an impressive 1-5.
The Monaghan girls stormed from the traps with Cora Courtney’s second-minute point handing them an early advantage.
Approaching half-time Donaghmoyne were 10 points clear, leading by 1-7 to 0-0, and this final looked done and dusted.
McConnell was the star of the show and her 13th-minute goal fired Donaghmoyne into a 1-4 to 0-0 lead.
It was a first half to forget for the Dublin champions. Amy Connolly drove an early goal chance wide before Amy Ring forced a fine save fromLinda Martin, player of the match in last year’s final, with Connolly off-target on the follow-up.
Ten minutes before half-time, Ring missed a close-in free as Foxrock-Cab became increasingly desperate in their quest for a score.
They thought they had it when Niamh Ryan’s shot was waved over by an umpire but that effort was subsequently ruled out.
Foxrock-Cab eventually broke their duck when Anne-Marie Murphy pointed with two and a half minutes left in the first half but Ring limped off with a hamstring problem before Connolly had their second point.
And things went from bad to worse for Foxrock- Cabinteely when McConnell’s delivery was dropped by Laurie Ahern and Louise Kerley pounced for Donaghmoyne’s second goal. Foxrock-Cab did reel off the next four scores of the game — all of them from Amy Connolly but Niamh Callan’s 48th minute point steadied for the winners who now draw level with Mayo’s Carnacon on the all-time roll of honour.
Meanwhile Rachel King produced a scintillating display as Galway outfit Annaghdown were crowned All-Ireland intermediate club football champions. King scored 1-4 from play as they overturned a five-point first half deficit to see off Armagh’s Shane O’Neill’s by 1-13 to 3-5.
C McConnell 1-5 (0-2f), L Kerley 1-1, A Casey, C Courtney & N Callan 0-1 each.
A Connolly 0-5 (3f), A.M. Murphy 0-2, C Murphy 0-1.
L Martin; J Geoghegan, F Courtney, Á McElroy; H Kingham, S Courtney, J Courtney; A Casey, C Courtney; C McConnell, E McElroy, R Courtney; L Kerley, N Callan, A Keenan.
L Garland for Kingham (39), S McConnell for Á McElroy (47), R Finnegan for Keenan (55), G Comiskey for Kerley (59).
L Ahern; E McDonagh, N Collins, S Delahunty; S Goldrick, C Ní Mhurchadh, L Fusciardi; S Brophy, L Nerney; C O’Riordan, A.M. Murphy, N Ryan; A Ring, F Claffey, A Connolly.
H O’Neill for Ring (28), C Crotty for Delahunty (36), C Murphy for O’Riordan (46), T O’Sullivan for McDonagh (47), E O’Herlihy for Nerney (56).
G Carmody (Mayo).
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