The victorious U20 Ladies Football Team from St Paul’s High School

The Under 20 Ladies Football team were crowned Ulster Colleges’ Champions after a thrilling Ulster Cup final at Crossmaglen, Armagh.

Séamus McAleenan, from Ulster Colleges’ GAA reported from the match.

St Paul’s Bessbrook 5-16 Our Lady’s Castleblayney 5-5

There was so much to enjoy about yesterday’s Ulster Colleges’ Ladies’ Football A final in Crossmaglen where St Paul’s Bessbrook collected their first ever title amidst joyous scenes after the final whistle.

Six goals, three for each side, were scored in the first 20 minutes and then Castleblayney, the pre-match favourites, added two more before the break.

The superb Aimee Mackin shot a brilliant 3-11, only 1-3 of which came from a penalty and 3 frees.  Amazingly Aimee didn’t pick up the Player of the Match award. Instead that went to super centre-half back Louise Kenny.

At the other end of the pitch, Niamh Callan was causing plenty of headaches for the Bessbrook defence.  She finished with a personal tally of 3-3, but would have had more had not Anna Carr saved brilliantly for the winners.

Indeed Carr brought off at least 5 one-on-one stops as the forwards from Our Lady’s opened St   Paul’s up in the first half.

St Paul’s goaled straight from the throw-in. Yes Aimee Mackin sped through the centre to fire low and they were 2-1 up, the second goal from Aimee’s sister Bláithin, before Ellen Tibby opened Castleblaney’s account with a 9^th minute goal.

Although another Aimee Mackin goal followed, ‘Blayney were gradually beginning to make the wind advantage count and two Callan strikes either side of one from Chloe Woods left them 5-2 to 3-5 ahead at the break.

Roisin Finnegan hit another point for Our Lady’s on the re-start, but St Paul’s now had the wind backing them and a goal from Aoibheann Jones was followed in the 45^th minute by a Mackin penalty goal to see them pull six points clear with 10 minutes left.

That stretched to a 5-16 to 5-4 scoreline, before Alana O’Donoghue scored a late consolation point for the Monaghan girls.

St Paul’s :  Anna Carr, Megan Boyle, Emma King, Ebony Rafferty, Shauna McCrink, Louise Kenny, Kerry Garvey, Dearbhla Wright, Maria Murphy, Ciara Boyle, Aimee Mackin 3-11, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees, Blaithin Mackin 1-5, Aoibheann Jones 1-0, Nicole McKenna, Sarah King.
Sub : Tara Byrne for Ciara Boyle..

Castleblayney : Emma Forde, Bronagh Sheridan, Michaela McCabe, Alanna McElroy, Elaine McKernan, Emer Finnegan, Róisín Finnegan 0-1, Alanna O’Donoghue 0-1, Aine McElroy, Ellen Tibby 1-0, Chloe Woods 1-0, Aoife Duffy, Muireann Atkinson, Niamh Callan 3-3, 0-2 frees, Aoife Connolly.

Subs : Aoife McBennet for A Connolly, Caoimhe Courtney for B Sheridan, Emma Kerr for E Finnegan.

Referee : Gavin Corrigan (Down)

Comhghairdeas d’Ardscoil Naomh Pól, An Sruthán

With thanks to Séamus McAleenan, first published on Ulster Colleges GAA, http://www.ulstercollegesgaa.org/featured/st-pauls-bessbrook-ladies-take-first-ulster-title/