Louth 4-12
Scotland 0-2
MARTIN CONNOLLY’S LOUTH cruised to a 22-point victory over Scotland in this afternoon’s TG4 All-Ireland ladies junior football championship final.
Beaten finalists in 2010 and 2012, Louth finally managed to seal the deal in the junior grade as they captured their first All-Ireland crown since the 1999 intermediate success.
Scotland, appearing in their first final, were outclassed from start to finish as Louth scored 2-6 in each half.
31 points separated the sides earlier in the season and while Scotland did manage to narrow the gap, they failed to score from play at GAA HQ.
Caoilfhionn Deeney, a 2011 junior medallist with Wicklow, scored Scotland’s only point in the first half from a free before captain Rosanna Heeney, a former Louth player, added a second half score.
Louth were forced to line out without captain Michelle McMahon because of a finger injury but she came on with three minutes left and lifted the West County Hotel Cup.
Aimee McNally scored Louth’s first goal in the 18th minute, netting from close range after Kate Flood’s free caused havoc in the Scotland goalmouth.
Three minutes later, Flood was involved again, feeding Ciara O’Connor for a killer second goal.
Laura Collins scored Louth’s third goal in the second half, capitalising after player of the match Paula Murray was denied a point by the upright.
And the icing on the cake arrived just minutes from time when Flood’s industry was rewarded with a fourth goal for the Wee County, who will play intermediate championship football next year.
All six of Louth’s starting forwards were on target as the winners registered each and every one of their scores from play during the course of a clinical display.
Scorers for Louth: K Flood (0-1f) & L Collins 1-2 each, C O’Connor 1-1, A McNally 1-0, P Murray 0-4, S Byrne 0-2, R Carr 0-1.
Scorers for Scotland: R Heeney & C Deeney 0-1f each.
Louth
U Pearson
J Kelly
E Singleton
O Brennan
M Sullivan
E Murray
B McGrane
R Carr
G Lynch
P Murray
S Byrne
A McNally
C O’Connor
K Flood
L Collins.
Subs:
A Halligan for Sullivan (19)
A Conlon for McNally (40)
C Nugent for O’Connor (52)
L Grills for Brennan (53)
M McMahon for Collins (57).
Scotland
S Loftus
J O’Loughlin
B Hegerty
S Reynolds
S McWilliams
O McCafferty
K Mohan
R Heeney
C Newton
A.M. Lenihan
H Keenan
S O’Connell
K Feeney
C Deeney
S O’Sullivan.
Subs:
M O’Carroll for McWilliams (21)
A Callaghan for Lenihan (48)
A Kavanagh for O’Sullivan (52)
L Sherry for Keenan (52)
A Lloyd for Mohan (53).
Referee: S Mulvihill (Kerry).
