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Loreto girls claim second title in a week

 

Loreto College, Cavan 3-11 IS Killorglin (Kerry) 1-10

 

Paul Fitzpatrick at Banagher

 

Loreto College, Cavan have made more history and in the process claimed their second All-Ireland title in the space of a week with a fully-merited seven-point win over Kerry side IS Killorglin.

The Cavan side got off to a wonderful start with a goal from the superb Áine Reilly three minutes in and added another point from the impressive Aisling Walls but the Kerry side upped the ante and with full-forward Roisin Griffin on fire, they raced into a 1-6 to 1-2 lead.

However, the crucial spell arrived just before half-time when Loreto landed four successive points from Walls, Niamh McCorry, captain Elaine Brady and Player of the Match Reilly.

Trailling by 1-7 to 0-6 at half-time and having played with the wind in the first half, Loreto faced a difficult task but they tore into their opponents on the restart and completely dominated the final 30 minutes.

With sub Clodagh Kennedy curtailing the dangerous Griffin, Muireann Smith outstanding at centre-back and Brady and Darcy Beck on top around the middle, Loreto took charge.

Ally Cahill and McCorry were exceptional in the half-forward line, with the energetic Walls a constant thorn in the side of the Killorglin defence.

A McCorry free and a great left-footed Reilly point saw the Ulster champions regain the lead and when McCorry netted after a swift counter-attack, Loreto were five clear and in control.

In the closing stages, they kicked on, with Beck and sub Lucy Jayne Grant pointing and Grant adding a late goal for good measure.

“We know exactly how you feel,” captain Brady said in her acceptance speech, addressing the beaten Killorglin side.

“We were here last year, we lost the final and you can bounce back.”

See next week’s print issue for full report and reaction.

 

Scorers

Loreto, Cavan: Á Reilly & N Crowe (2f) 1-3 each, LJ Grant 1-1, A Walls 0-2, E Brady & D Beck 0-1 each.  

 

IS Killorglin: R Griffin 1-6 (3f), F Houlihan 0-2, A Clifford & E O’Connor 0-1 each.

 

Loreto, Cavan: J Reilly; C Kellegher, H Smith, N Brady; K Tuipulotu, M Smith, O Murphy; E Brady, D Beck; A Cahill, N McCorry, L O’Reilly; A Crowe, Á Reilly, A Walls.  

 

Subs: C Kennedy for M Smith (12, temp), Kennedy for N Brady (24), C Boylan for J Reilly (42), G Beatty for Crowe (49), LJ Grant for O’Reilly (56), A McKiernan for Cahill (60+3)

 

IS Killorglin: C Fealey; S Foley, E O’Connor, B Brosnan; O Dunphy, K McGlashan, A Nolan; A Clifford, R Evans; N Moriarty, C Joy, E Burke; M Duffy, R Griffin, F Houlihan.

 

Subs: L Hayes for Burke (42), T Clifford for Moriarty (54), C MacMahon for Houlihan (57)

 

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow)