Knockbride grind it out to book meeting with Caltra

INTERMEDIATE: Gia McCabe of Knockbride in action against Annie Maher of Naomh Abán. Picture: Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile

Knockbride from Cavan will meet Galway’s Caltra Cuans in the All-Ireland ladies football intermediate final.

Knockbride edged out Naomh Abán from Cork by 0-4 to 0-3 in their semi-final encounter when a late point from Ellie Reilly was decisive in a low-scoring encounter.

Caltra Cuans booked their place when they pipped St Fechin’s from Louth by 0-9 to 0-8. Ciara Murray’s fourth point secured the win with a free to thwart a St Fechin’s side for whom Ava Briscoe also scored four points in a good contest.

The  junior final, which will take place at Parnell Park on Sunday, December 14 (2pm), will feature Muckalee from Kilkenny and Kerry champions Cromane.

Muckalee, who trailed by a point at the interval, saw off Menlough/Skehana by 3-6 to 1-4 thanks to goals from Sian Bolger, Ellen Lawlor and Katie Nolan after Chloe Flynn had found the net for the Galway champions in the opening half.

They will meet a Cromane side in the final who edged out Cavan Gaels by 1-10 to 0-10 in their semi-final clash.

The decisive score came after 17 minutes when Róisín Griffin fisted home a goal after a good build-up to lead by 1-7 to 0-5 at the break but they had to withstand a spirited comeback from Cavan Gaels before booking their place in the All-Ireland in a year when they won their first Kerry title.

Meanwhile, Cork's Erika O'Shea claimed her second AFLW winner's medal alongside Meath superstar Vikki Wall as their all-conquering North Melbourne Kangaroos team completed a perfect season with a 56-16 Grand Final triumph over the Brisbane Lions on Saturday. 

Fermanagh's Blaithín Bogue crowned a stunning debut season Down Under with her first premiership title while Amy Gavin Mangan from Offaly was also a member of the victorious panel, an emergency substitute in Melbourne. 

After a campaign in which a record 39 Irish women featured, it was fitting that the sold-out season decider at Ikon Park had a very green tint to proceedings. Among the Lions  squad picking up runners-up medals were Dublin’s Jennifer Dunne, who like Bogue had been named an All-Australian after a terrific season, as well as Orla O'Dwyer from Tipperary and Neasa Dooley from Kildare. 

There was little shame in the Queenslanders' inability to live with the Kangaroos. In truth no team has been able to for two full seasons as North Melbourne strung together successive undefeated campaigns stretching back to 2023. 

The Lions actually started well and took an early lead before frustrating the champions' potent attack with the score tight at 12-7 after the opening quarter. However O'Shea's snappy interventions helped the Kangaroos take command with a devastating second quarter in which they outscored the challengers 18-1 to build a lead which proved insurmountable.