Gallant St Leo's beaten by strong Bailieborough outfit
Amy Wall watches her kick sail over the bar for a point for St Leo's Photos: Pat Ahern
It wasn’t to be for St Leo’s College this time as they came up against an excellent Bailieborough CS side in the Lidl All-Ireland PPS Junior B final at the Clann Mhuire GFC pitch in The Naul on Thursday.
After a desperately disappointing start where they conceded two goals in two minutes, the Carlow college girls played their hearts out to the end but they were outfought and outscored over the hour.
Seconds from the throw-in, the eventual winners, who were playing with a slight breeze, swooped for a goal from Gia McCabe. Before St Leo’s could settle, they conceded again as Abby Reilly also raised a green flag. Those two goals were supplemented by three points before St Leo’s got off the mark.
On nine minutes, Amy Wall, converted a penalty and this was followed up by another goal through Lucie O’Reilly.
The Cavan side were too good to let those concessions affect them and they hit back with another goal from Reilly. Bailieborough had strong and adventurous players who ran at the Carlow defence. The goal tally mounted up with Sophie Holland, Leila Cooney, Reilly and McCabe finding the net to leave them leading 7-13 to 2-1 at the interval. The St Leo’s point scorer was Laura Malone.
St Leo’s attacked from the second half throw-in but were hit with an Abby Reilly point on the break. It could have been more but St Leo’s keeper, Aoife Mullins saved well from Cait Galligan. The net-minder made some good saves in both halves.
The third Leo’s goal came from Emily Carpenter in the third quarter which brought a great cheer from the large home following who had come up to the County Meath venue.
The game played out to its inevitable conclusion with Galligan finally getting the goal which her general play deserved. A fabulous journey came to an end but St Leo’s remained competitive to the end and would be the first to say the Northern team were best on the day.
3-12 (2fs), G McCabe 2-6, L Cooney 1-3, S Holland 1-2, C Galligan 1-1, A Connolly 0-2, C Curran 0-1.
A Wall 1-5 (1-0 pen 3fs), L O’Reilly 1-0, E Carpenter 1-0, M O’Reilly 0-2, L Malone 0-1.
Margaret Smith; Kyla Lambe, Aoife Rogers, Asha Connolly; Anna Clarke, Erelle O’Sullivan, Layla Kierans; Evie Hill, Ella McPhillips; Sophie Holland, Gia McCabe, Ellie Reilly; Chloe Curran, Abby Reilly, Leila Cooney.
Subs: Cait Galligan for Curran (h/t), Kaitlyn Monaghan for Clarke (45), Maisie Rose Smith for Kierans (49), Chloe Crosbie for Holland (55), Shelby Hutchenson for Lambe (59).
Aoife Mullins; Aoife O’Sullivan, Lucy Whelan, Sarah Nolan; Faye Brennan, Lara Fanning, Ciara Moran; Mollie Kelly, Chelsea Dooley; Lucie O’Reilly, Amy Wall, Laura Malone; Emma Malone, Molly O’Reilly, Dearbhla McHugh.
Subs: Emily Carpenter for McHugh (h/t), Clodagh George for Nolan (52), Ann O’Sullivan for Brennan (53).
