St Louis Ballymena take 3rd Fontenoy Cup

Liatroim Fontenoys’ Cup final:

7/12/13

St Louis Ballymena 4-8 St Pius X Magherafelt 3-3

St Louis Ballymena came through strongly during the second half of this Liatroim Fontenoys’ Cup final to win their third title against a very determined St Pius X team in Ballymena on Saturday.

St Pius X made the better start and excellent midfielder Aoife McNabb pointed a free in the fourth minute.  The St   Louis puck-out fell short however, wasn’t properly cleared and Amy O’Kane hit the net.

St Louis then started to assert themselves around midfield and half-forward and reduced the deficit with 3 points without reply, 2 from Martine McCann.  But they were knocked back again by a Bronagh Robinson goal in the 15 ^th  minute.

A goal still separated the sides with 28 minutes gone, when Kirsty Laverty reacted quickest with the sliotar going loose in the Magherafelt area.  With Victoria Edgar registering her second point from a free a short time later, St Louis led by 2-1 to 1-5 at the break.

Victoria added a goal from a free five minutes into the second half and it looked as if the Ballymena side could push on.  They did, but not before Aoife McNabb brought her tally to 1-3 in the 49 ^th minute, reeling the lead in to just 2 points, 2-8 to 3-3.

Within a couple of minutes however, St Pius’ dream of an upset was gone, with Victoria Edgar’s 40 metre free going all the way to the net.  The game was made safe in the 55 ^th  minute with the move of the match.

Mary McToal made an excellent run up the wing and her centre was pulled back by Caitriona Graham into the path of the other St Louis sub Una Doherty who fired home from close range.

The better team prevailed but St Pius X made them work for their win with strong performances from Chloe Henry, Eadaoin Smylie and Sinead and Aoife McNabb.

Ballymena really only stepped up a gear in the second half due to the drive of midfielder Mary McToal, with good support from Geana Convery, Kirsty Laverty and the half-back line.

St Louis : Aoibhinn Agnew, Jeni Dillon, Laura McGarry, Sephora O’Connell, Caoimhe Conlon, Megan Boyle, Amy Boyle, Mary McToal, Victoria Edgar 2-3 frees, Eadaoin McGarry capt. 0-1, Geana Convery 0-1, Martine McCann 0-2, Fiona Blaney, Kirsty Laverty 1-0, Fiona Hills 0-1.

Subs : Una Doherty 1-0 for F Mills (44), Caitriona Graham for F Blaney.

St Pius X : Aine Cullen, Emma McGlone, Chloe Henry, Aislinn McGuckin, Eadaoin Smylie, Sinead McNabb, Eimear McErlean, Aoife McNabb 1-3, Catriona Diamond, Emma-Jo O’Neill, Amy O’Kane 1-0, Emer Bradley, Niamh Devlin, Bronagh Robinson 1-0, Emma McNabb.

Subs : Shauneen McGuckin for E McErlain (14), Aoife Brown for E McGlone (18), Cora Speirs for E mcNabb (20).