Connacht LGFA Minor ‘A’ Championship Final
Galway 4-14
Roscommon 0-9
Roscommon’s dreams of breaking through at ‘A’ level in Connacht will have to wait another year as Ollie Colgan’s side were blown away by a very impressive Galway outfit at Enfield on Monday evening. Having beaten Mayo in the semi-final, hopes were high of another big win but Galway were simply too strong, too slick and too fast for a very game Roscommon team.
The final margin does not do justice to the huge effort put in by Roscommon throughout and Galway goalkeeper Emma Glynn made three outstanding saves during the match to deny Roscommon goals they badly needed. But in truth the home side were second best on the day and there was no shame losing to such a fine team.
In front of a big crowd and on a fine dry evening, Roscommon started well and had two points on the board after three minutes with Aimee O’Connor and Kelley Colgan (free) on target. But once Galway got motoring Roscommon were on the back foot, and it was 27 minutes before Roscommon scored again.
In the 8th minute Megan Kelly was caught in possession in front of the Roscommon goal and Andrea Trill planted the ball in the net for Galway’s opening goal. With Trill, Aoife O’Rourke, Chloe Miskill and Ailish Morrissey devastating, it was one-way traffic. Kara Earle and Kelley Colgan had goal chances saved by the Galway goalkeeper Emma Glynn and by half-time it was Galway 1-9 Roscommon 0-3. Roscommon’s only other score coming from the boot of Oonagh Kelly in injury-time.
The pattern was repeated on the restart with the visitors on top although they only had one point to show from the efforts in the opening ten minutes of the new half. Chloe Miskill drove home a great goal in the 40th minute and Andrea Trill blasted home another opportunist goal in the 45th minute.
Oonagh Kelly kicked Roscommon’s only second half score in the 56th minute and Galway sub Ciara Murray sealed their big win with a fourth goal on the stroke of full-time.
It was a chastening experience for Roscommon but in fairness to them they never stopped trying and they have plenty to look forward to in the All-Ireland ‘B’ championship when they take on Clare.
After the match, a disappointed Roscommon manager Ollie Colgan admitted that Roscommon were beaten by the better side.
“You have to hold your hands up after a defeat like that. They were much the better team. We missed a few goal chances and if we got a couple of them we might have done better and I don’t think the score line reflected the effort our girls put in.
“I’m very proud of our girls. They are very disappointed there now. We had been matching Galway over the past couple of years but look, you will have days like that. Galway are a class team.
“There is more football to be played. We are in a ‘B’ semi-final against Clare now. We told the girls to forget about this match and we will give them a few weeks off and we will go at it again,” he concluded.
Galway: Emma Glynn; Siobhan Fahy, Chelsie Crowe, Holly Reddington; Aoife Kilcommins, Kate Geraghty, Sophie Healy; Niamh McPeake (0-2), Laura Ahearne; Aoife O’Rourke (0-3), Chloe Miskill (1-1), Molly Hynes; Lorraine Meehan (0-1), Andrea Trill (2-4, 3 frees), Ailish Morrissey (0-3). Subs: Aoife Lynagh for Healy (51), Eimear Mitchell for Ahearne (55), Ciara Murray (1-0) for Hynes (58).
Roscommon: Sasha Lavin; Rachel Mulligan, Saoirse Wynne, Aisling Walsh; Emma Kildea, Megan Kelly, Kate Phillips; Sarah McVeigh, Kate Nolan; Megan McKeon, Kelley Colgan (0-1 free), Ellen Irwin; Aimee O’Connor (0-1), Oonagh Kelly (0-2,) Kara Earle. Subs: Sheena Kilroe for Earle and Kate Harrington for Walsh (both half-time), Jennifer Brennan for M Kelly (48), Miceala Keogh for Nolan, Maeve Brogan for McPhillips.
Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo)
