Late Alyssa Manley goal halts Naomh Abán fightback in All-Ireland junior decider
Lydia McDonagh of Naomh Abán under pressure from Emma Madden of Salthill-Knocknacarra. Picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
A Team USA Olympian was the goal-scoring hero as Alyssa Manley’s 60th-minute strike saw Salthill-Knocknacarra shake off the challenge of Naomh Abán to win the All-Ireland Junior title.
Manley, who played for the American hockey team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, moved to Ireland with her Galwegian girlfriend in 2020 and took up Gaelic football last year.
Her second-half involvement was restricted to shuttle runs to keep warm at full-forward as Naomh Abán employed a full-court press to chase down a 0-6 to no-score half-time deficit. They had it back to three in the final minute of normal time before Manley struck, finishing a move involving Kate Thompson and Lauren O’Donnell.
Ailbhe Finnerty lifted the cup and Siobhán Divilly took home the player of the match award to end a day that looked like it might see no football at all when Cahir’s pitch was frozen solid. The game of musical venues ended at Fethard Town Park after postponements from Kilmallock six days earlier and Cahir, half an hour before the throw-in.
It resulted in an occasion without the feel of an All-Ireland final. The 4G pitch, with Gaelic games and rugby markings, was undoubtedly playable and will be a brilliant venue when built. All in sundry were grateful for Fethard’s generosity in taking the match at such short notice, too.
But for now, the surrounding area is a construction site, with fans standing around the perimeter or on a frozen bank either side of the scaffolding and barriers. Both teams could only laugh in despair at getting changed in neighbouring portable buildings and queueing in the cold alongside spectators for the three available portaloos.
All sides were regardless keen to get the game played, whether they had any change of boots for the 4G surface or otherwise.
There aren't too many All-Ireland finals where players have to ask reporters on the sideline to find out the score but when the question came, it made better news for the Salthill side.
They adapted better to the lively pitch to hold Naomh Abán scoreless in the first half. Thompson kicked three points, Laura Kelly two, one of which whistled just over the bar, and O'Donnell added the other. Divilly and Aoife Nash led their patient build-up play with two assists each.
Naomh Abán centre-back Rosie Corkery was sin-binned in the third minute for Naomh Abán and but for some poor kicking from frees, Salthill could've landed more than the two points they did in that 10-minute period.
Corkery was sent off in the 42nd minute for her second booking but the Gaeltacht side never said die. Eimear Murphy had them on the board within a minute of the restart and once down a player, Lydia McDonagh and Grace Murphy brought it back to a one-score game.
But, like Salthill in the first half, missed frees proved costly. They kicked four short or wide (Salthill missed six).
Salthill had to wait until the 58th minute for their first shot of the second half (and the first score at all into the posts at the countryside end), Kelly kicking a point which was cancelled out by a Grace Murphy free moments later.
But from the kick-out, Salthill broke upfield and their Olympic hero sealed the silverware.
: A Manley (1-0); K Thompson, L Kelly (0-3, 1 free, each); L O’Donnell (0-1).
: G Murphy (0-2, 1 free); E Murphy, L McDonagh (0-1 each).
L Carroll; A Mullen, E Madden, O de Bairéad; S Donnellan, Z Rather, R Reddington; S Divilly, A Finnerty (capt); L Kelly, L O’Donnell, K Thompson; D O’Connell, A Manley, A Nash.
Subs: D Brennan for Reddington (58), A Kelly for Divilly (60+5), M Mulligan for Madden (60+6).
L Hughes; A Creedon, M Dineen, U Twohig (capt); E Kelly, R Corkery, ME Kelliher; A McDonagh, G Lucey; A Hoare, E Murphy, C Phelan; A Maher, L McDonagh, G Murphy.
Subs: J Kelly for Maher (35), C Murphy for Phelan (50).
: S Mulvihill (Kerry).
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