Our senior girls had a very successful year which culminated in another Senior C final and once again falling just short. However, we had a wonderful year which seen us play 4 games in competition and 2 challenges and we ended up on the losing side on two occasions, to the same opposition, Ursuline, Sligo.
We played our first group game in Annaduff against the Ursuline on friday 21-10-11 where we lost a highly entertaiing affair on a score line of 6:12 to 5:7. Scores on the day came from Aileen Maguire 2:0, Tara Fitzpatrick 2:0, Claire Rowley 0:3, Aisling O Rourke 0:1, Laura O Dowd 1:1, Shauna Mc Loughlin 0:1 and Carla Le Guen 0:1.
This left our next game versus St. Clares, Manorhamilton crucial, if we were going to qualify. Played in St. Felim’s our girls withstood 10 minutes of heavy pressure from the away team who dumped us from the same competition last year. However our defence held sway and played outstanding football in a ruthless display that showed the girls real potential. We ran out winners on a score line of 5:17 to 2:6. Scorers were Aileen Maguire 3:3, Alanna Maher 0:1, Claire Rowley 1:3, Maeve Gleeson 0:1, Laura O Dowd 1:7. This mean’t we had qualified for the semi final which would be played after Christmas.
After the Christmas holidays we played two excellent challenges against Leitrim minors which really sharpened us up for our semi final against St. Dominican’s, College Galway. The semi final was played in Ballinlough on 24-01-2012. In a very tight game our superior sharpness from our two challenges gave us the edge and we recorded a famous victory on a score line of 3:8 to to 2:5. We lost our regular goalkeeper Blaithin Sharpley through a prior appointment and Shannon O rourke deputised in goals.Scorers were Laura O Dowd 0:4,Aileen Maguire 1:1, Caoimhe Quinn 1:0, Tara Fitzpatrick 1:0, Aoibheann Flynn 0:1, Carla Le Guen 0:1, Claire Rowley 0:1.
SENIOR C FINAL VS URSULINE, SLIGO VENUE: Fenagh DATE: 1st Feb 2012.
Playing in our third senior C final, we hoped at last we would break our duck having lost previous finals to Dunmore CS in 2005 and Mount St. Michael in 2008. However we were struck with bad news just before the final, with the loss of our talented Cavan minor player through injury, Alanna Maher who had being very instrumental in us getting to the final.
However the day belonged to our Sligo opposition who ran out winners on a score line of 3:14 to 3:2 with their centre forward, Emma Hansberry giving a masterful display. Playing against the wind in the first half we had fared reasonably but a goal in the dying seconds of the half saw us face half time losing by 2:9 to 1:0. However we had a very spirited second half and drew the second half with our illustrious opponents and at one stage we had the difference back to 7 points and their goalkeeper pulling off some excellent saves. However our girls gave a great account of theselves and lost to superior opposition on the day. We wish Ursuline best wishes in the All-Ireland Series.
TEAM & SCORERS: Shannon O Rourke, Keely Doonan, Danika Doonan, Carla Mc Keown, Caoimhe Quinn, Amy Mc Loughlin, Shauna Mc Loughlin, Roisin Mc Hugh, Laura O Dowd 1:0, Aoibheann Flynn, Carla Le Guen, Maeve Gleeson, Tara Fitzpatrick 0:1, Claire Rowley, Aileen Maguire 2:0, Blaithin Sharpley, Aisling O Rourke, Shauna Plunkett, Ellen Wrynne, Arlene Conway. Ciara Bohan, Niamh Flynn, Eilis O Dowd.
Mr. Mullen and Mr Kavanagh would like to thank all the girls on their efforts this year. They would like to thank the staff, principals and parents for thie continued support with ladies football in the school.
A special well done to Laura O dowd and Alanna Maher on their success on the Connacht PPS All-Stars. We look forward to next year. Best wishes to third and leaving cert. girls in their exams.