Lacken ladies reclaim SFC crown

O'Keeffe lands 0-11 in hard-fought final

Lacken 0-16

Crosserlough 0-11

Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni

Lacken ladies claimed the Michelle Keating Cup for the first time since 2014, in the process dethroning champions Crosserlough, with this spirited victory.

Lacken’s success was based on tenacious defensive play, typified by full-back Niamh McInerney and centre-half Joanne Moore, and excellent counter-attacking, with the likes of Lucy Crowe, Marian McGuinness and Rosie Crowe driving forward all day.

And up front, the winners had the outstanding forward on show in the experienced Roisin O’Keeffe, who delivered a brilliant performance for the new champions, who returned to the winner’s enclosure under the guidance of Sean Finnegan and Ollie Brady.

Early on, Crosserlough were the better side. By the time the first water break arrived, they had opened a three-point lead, 0-5 to 0-2, and looked comfortable.

Corner-forward Ciara Boylan got them off the mark in the opening minute but Lacken, making their return to the big day after a four-year break, quickly replied with a point from Armagh native Marian McGuinness from a tight angle.

County star Neasa Byrd picked up Lacken danger woman O’Keeffe, scorer of 0-14 in the semi-final win over Mullahoran, and Byrd was edging the early exchanges, forcing a couple of turnovers as the Lough poured forward.

Muireann Cusack nudged them in front with a good point under pressure and after a turnover from Byrd, Lauren McVeety played the lively Ciara Boylan in for their next.

Crosserlough won the resulting kick-out and Ciara Finnegan fired over a super point and the holders extended their advantage to four on 12 minutes when Byrd again made an interception and began a good move which was well finished by Boylan.

O’Keeffe, though, was beginning to grow into the game and she would go on to dominate the second quarter. O’Keeffe made it 0-5 to 0-2 after good work from Rosie Crowe, Lucy Crowe and McGuinness and Lacken, suddenly, were transformed.

Sean Finnegan’s charges would land the next seven of the next eight points as they took over the game, with Rosie Crowe influential around the middle, Joanne Moore dominant at centre-back and O’Keeffe on fire up front.

The latter won and converted a free and then Moore fired over after good play from Aoife Crowe.

Ciara Finnegan set Lauren McVeety up for a well-taken score at the other end to make it 0-6 to 0-4 but O’Keeffe replied at the other end and then took a pass from Rosie Crowe and curled in an excellent score from play to tie at 0-6 apiece.

Good passing from Moore created a chance which youngster Bonnie McKiernan finished well for the lead point on 27 minutes and, from the kick-out, O’Keeffe laid off for Shona King to send over another superb point.

Lacken were full of confidence by now and they strung together another great move the length of the field, carving Crosserlough open for half a goal chance which O’Keeffe wisely clipped over the bar.

Crosserlough didn’t panic, though, and reeled off an important score just before the break when Boylan linked with Sheila Brady and the full-forward slotted over to make it 0-9 to 0-7 at the break.

The nip-and-tuck nature of proceedings continued on the resumption. O’Keeffe (free) restored Lacken’s three-point advantage before Crosserlough put together a hat-trick of scores as they pinned Lacken back.

Key to this was corner-forward Muireann Cusack, whose pace was causing the Lacken full-back line a lot of problems. Cusack kicked their first of the second half and then McVeety, who was always threatening, was picked out with a fist pass by Boylan and knocked over her second.

Crosserlough were on top by now and when Cusack picked Rosie Crowe’s pocket and pointed again, they were level at 0-10 each and had all the momentum on their side.

From a rare breakaway, Erinn Galligan fielded a pass from Moore and set O’Keeffe away and she added another to her individual tally to edge Lacken in front again.

Crosserlough, to their credit, refused to fold and they threw everything at Lacken as they tried to hold on to their title. They created numerous chances but a combination of wasteful shooting and disciplined defending from Lacken saw them struggle to make their territorial superiority count on the scoreboard.

Lacken lived dangerously at times in this spell but they held firm and managed to nab an important point in the 51st minute when O’Keeffe nailed a tricky free from the edge of the D.

Three minutes later, Galligan was fouled and O’Keeffe again converted to make it 0-13 to 0-10. Crosserlough continued to press but could only muster a couple of wides before McVeety converted a free as the clock ticked into injury time to make it a two-point game.

If Lacken were nervy in the closing stages – and almost 10 minutes of added time was played – they didn’t show it as they managed the clock expertly. O’Keeffe registered two more frees to give them some breathings pace and then Rosie Crowe, who had an outstanding second half in particular, cut through the centre and crowned her performance with a point.

In the dying seconds, Crosserlough had a goal chance through Ciara Finnegan but Lacken goalkeeper Cathriona Leddy, who was sound all day, saved smartly and that was that.

Crosserlough: Cara Reilly, Aine Finnegan, Aileen Gaffney, Niamh Lee, Lorna O’Reilly, Shauna Lynch, Orla Smith, Neasa Byrd, Darcey Beck, Lauren McVeety (0-3, 1f), Sinead McKenna, Ciara Finnegan (0-1), Muireann Cusack (0-3), Sheila Brady (0-1), Ciara Boylan (0-3)

Subs: Hannah Boylan for Sheila Brady, Niamh Reilly for Darcey Beck, Christina Charters for O Smith

Lacken: Cathriona Leddy, Bonnie McKiernan (0-1), Niamh McInerney, Eimear Bogue, Lucy Crowe, Joanne Moore (0-1), Emma Brady, Rosie Crowe (0-1), Marian McGuinness, Roisin O’Keeffe (0-11, 6f), Josephine Maguire, Shona King (0-1), Aoife Crowe, Erinn Galligan, Leanne Leddy

Subs: Lisa Urbanski for L Leddy