Antrim LGFA Senior Final
Moneyglass  2-18 St Paul’s 1-9

MONEYGLASS retained their Antrim Ladies Senior Football Championship title as they powered to victory over St Paul’s at Davitt Park on Sunday.

It was a final that very much played out as expected, with strong favourites St Ergnat’s running out by a victory score-line in double figures.

Although, it was St Paul’s who had the earlier chances after Lara Dahunsi won the immediate ball from the throw-in playing a delicious pass into full-forward Fionnghuala

Rocks who blasted her shot just past the post, in an attempt which had it gone in could have very much changed the afternoon’s proceedings.

Rebecca Bradley opened her and Moneyglass’ account in the final, after she knocked over a unique effort from 25 yards out on the sixth minute of time after both sides had numerous wides. 

Full-forward Orlaith Prenter scored her first of many, after her effort from play soared over to extend her sides lead early in the final. 

St Paul’s forward Rocks soon scored a brace of frees to cut the deficit in half on the 10-minute mark.

The game looked to be getting beyond the Shaws Road side’s reach, when 15 minutes in Moneyglass defender Elanoir Mallon found herself in an unlucky goal-scoring position, as she met Orlaith Prenter’s short effort and thumped home the first of St Ergnat’s goals in the final.

Moneyglass seized hold of the game, as Prenter pointed five times from frees before Maire O’Neill finished coolly to up the ante before the break. The trophy was firmly in the grasp of St Ergnat’s once again. 

A slight glimmer of St Paul’s hope broke as Kirsty McGuinness pointed successfully from frees to reduce her sides half-time deficit to nine, a mountain to climb in the second 30 minutes. 

The half-time scoreboard read 2-9 to 0-6 in favour of Moneyglass, very much dominating the affair.

St Paul’s started the second period the better half, with Fionnghuala Rocks scoring from a free before Moneyglass saw themselves temporarily reduced to 14 after Emma Louise McAreavey, took one for the team as she brought down Kirsty McGuinness who looked set to score a goal.

McGuinness proceeded to slot home her penalty kick into the bottom left corner, giving St Paul’s some hope as there was only five points between the sides.

Moneyglass once again relied on their main star Orlaith Prenter to re-establish their lead after a hat-trick of consecutive frees were sent well over the bar, with St Paul’s becoming the aggressors after a frustrating final began to draw to a close.

Prenter dominated the final affair, again pointing from over 25 yards and notching up her own personal tally as the sharpshooter kept her accuracy on point.

Frustration was the keyword to describe St Paul’s as their early momentum was destroyed by their own desperation to get back in the tie, resulting in the booking and sin bin of Caitlin McGuinness who dragged down Cliona Griffin inside the 21-yard line. 

St Paul’s added back-to back scores from Hannah Doherty and Rocks but it was to no avail, Prenter once again kept St Paul’s at bay after she kicked over multiple efforts restoring their 12 point lead in the sixth minute of added time as the whistle blew, confirming Moneyglass as champions for the second year in succession.

MONEYGLASS: A McCann, A McCauley, E L McAreavey, S O Neill, E Mallon 1-0, R Bradley 0-1, L McCann, C Griffin, C carey, M O Neill 1-1, A Devlin, O Prenter (0-16 14 frees), B Devlin
Subs: S McErlain, A Boyd, D Connolly, G Laverty, C McKeely, O Rooney, E McCoy

ST PAUL’S: S Murphy, C Stewart, C Brown, O McGuinness, S Tennyson, S McCann, N Burns, L Dahunsi, A Tubridy, N Nic Ionnrachtaigh, N Ritchie, C McGuinness 0-2(1 free), K McGuinness 1-2 (1 pen), F Rocks 0-4 (4 frees), H Doherty 0-1
Subs: G McGroarty, N Matthews, M Hanna, E Kelly, A Healy, M Connolly, C Mervyn, O Murray