Fenagh come from behind to secure emotional first Championship since 2020
Donal Nolan (chairman Carlow LGFA) and John McGrath (TelLab) presents the Intermediate Football Championship trophy to Fenagh captain Antoinette Dowling.
Sometimes fairytales just don’t happen, sometimes the happy ending just doesn’t happen. Not on this occasion though. Fenagh bridged a five year gap to win the Intermediate Championship on Saturday afternoon as they claimed their first title since 2020.
It’s been an emotional week in the parish of Fenagh with the passing of local woman Niamh Dobbs who was heavily involved with both Fenagh and Carlow Ladies Football for many years.
They didn’t have it their own way though, and had to battle the whole game, having to come from behind. They only found themselves in control in the final few moments, and even then they had to work hard to ensure they got over the line.
Kildavin-Clonegal went ahead early. Katie Byrne fired over a point with just a minute on the clock.
Isobel Cronin added a free four minutes later to race into a two point lead early on. Fenagh came back into the game as Aoibheann Byrne fired over a free for the side in Black and White with nine minutes gone. Orlagh Hickey raised a white flag for Kildavin/Clonegal from distance before Chloe Roberts pushed them into a three point lead.
Ellen Barrett hit a free for Fenagh before Antoinette Dowling hit over an effort from distance. Cronin hit over a point for the side in red. With a minute to go in the half, Caoimhe Redmond broke down the left and handpassed into the middle where Cronin was waiting to knock the ball into the back of the net.
However, Fenagh weren’t going to settle and raced down the other end and got a goal of their own through Rebecca Sheehan to stay with Kildavin-Clonegal and keep it at a two point game going into the break.
In what was a much tighter second half, Kildavin-Clonegal could only score one point in the whole half, which ended up costing them. Fenagh went close early on but ended up hitting the uprights. It took nine minutes for the first score of the half, Byrne hitting over a free.
Four minutes later, another Byrne free was hit over as they pulled level. Midway through the match, Lia Dunne raised a white flag as Kildavin-Clonegal pushed ahead once again, albeit by a point.
Another Byrne free drew them level to set up a grandstand finish in the last ten minutes. It wasn’t until four minutes from time when the next score came with Sheehan firing over a point to give Fenagh a one point lead.
Megan Doyle was shown a red card for Kildavin/Clonegal just after that which left them with an uphill task. Byrne had the chance to make it a two point lead but she hit it straight at the Kildavin/Clonegal ‘keeper. In the third minute of stoppage time, Barrett hit a free over to give them a two point lead meaning that only a goal would win it for Kildavin-Clonegal.
At the death Kildavin/Clonegal had a last gasp free with Cronin trying to hit in a ball from the right into the box but it was blocked by the Fenagh defence and it was the Black and White side emerging victorious as Kildavin/Clonegal fell short at the final hurdle for a third year in a row, having lost back to back to back finals.
