Antrim Ladies Junior Football Championship final
St Joseph's, Glenavy 2-14 St John's 4-6
A GRAINNE McLaughlin-inspired Glenavy finished stronger as they found the scores ij the home stretch to overcome St John's in an entertaining Antrim Ladies Junior Football final at Naomh Éanna on Saturday afternoon.

The county star kicked an incredible 13 points on the day as her class shone through on a gloomy afternoon to drive her side to victory, with Eibhlín Morgan also finding the net twice.

St John's had some fine performances too, with late replacement Toni Leigh Finnegan repaying the management's faith with 2-3, while Natasha Clarke fired home a pair of goals, but their efforts were to be in vain.

The Johnnies had looked in a strong position when leading by three 10 minutes into the second period as their knack for finding the net had seen them overturn an eight-point deficit early in the first half, but the scores would dry up for the city side as Glenavy broke for home in the closing stages.

This game took little time to burst into life as the victors enjoyed a dream start when from the opening attack, Eibhlín Morgan burst forward and her shot for a point dipped wickedly over the head of Johnnies' goalkeeper Aimee Hesketh and ended up in the net.

Grainne McLaughlin played a starring role
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Grainne McLaughlin played a starring role

St John's recovered well from this early setback with Duibheasa O'Reilly finishing a fine move with a good point and then Finnegan opened her account with an excellent score from a tight angle on the left.

Enter Grainne McLaughlin and the centre forward began to torment the St John's defence, with her left boot slinging over a pair of fine scores before her first from a free. McLaughlin added another from a tricky angle to push her side five clear.

It would get even better as fro the resultant kick-out, Megan McGarry intercepted and raced through on goal only to be bundled over in the penalty area with Morgan stepping up and making no mistake with a low shot into the corner of the net to make it 2-4 to 0-2 after 10 minutes.

St John's badly needed a response and three minutes later they got it with Toni Leigh Finnegan playing a superb ball into Natasha Clarke whose first shot was well saved by Orlagh Mullin, but the rebound fell kindly and Clarke side-footed to the net.

McLaughlin hit back with another brace from play either side of the water-break to put seven between the teams, but St John's would start to click in attack with a second goal arriving on 21 minutes and again it was Clarke who collected a fine pass from Duibheasa O'Reilly on the right of goal, made space for herself and thumped to the net.

 Toni Leigh Finnegan palms to the net
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Toni Leigh Finnegan palms to the net

Finnegan and McLaughlin would trade scores before Cora Burns cut through to point and leave three between them, but the deficit would then be wiped out just before the half as Finnegan got a shot on goal that was saved, but the rebound came off a Glenavy hand and the ball just about crossed the line.

A McLaughlin free would help Glenavy into a 2-8 to 3-4 half-time lead, but from looking down and out early, the Johnnies were right back in this game.

After McLaughlin extended the gap to two with another fine score just after the break, the Johnnies would grab the lead for the first time on 35 minutes as O'Reilly's shot for a point dropped and Finnegan was alert to follow in and get there before Mullin to palm into the net.

Finnegan added a point immediately and on 39 minutes, St John's almost had a fifth goal when Clarke spun and shot, but her low effort came back off the post and away although the Corrigan Park outfit did end up with a point from O'Reilly when winning back possession.

At 4-6 to 2-9 ahead, it seemed St John's were in a winning position, but they failed to score again as a few chances flew wide and they would rue these opportunities lost as slowly but surely, Glenavy began to chip away at the gap.

McLaughlin did point straight after the O'Reilly score, but would have to wait another 10 minutes to add another from a free on 51 minutes.

 Toni Leigh Finnegan on the attack
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Toni Leigh Finnegan on the attack

With just one between them, now it was Glenavy on the front foot and for once, McLaughlin was the provider as she slid a perfect ball into substitute Lilly Ní Corráin who kicked the equaliser.

With St John's flooding their defence, Glenavy were only too happy to push forward and McLaughlin kicked a free with four to play to put her side back in front and then would leave the Johnnies needing a goal with another converted free in stoppage time.

There was still time for St John's to find a wining goal and while they probed, the opportunity just didn't arrive with Glenavy celebrating another county title.

GLENAVY: O Mullin; M McStravick, M Bradley, E McCartney; A Nic Ambrois, C Scannell, B Forester; N O'Neill, A Mulholland; O Mac Alastair, G McLaughlin (0-13, 5 frees), M McGarry; G Fallon, E Morgan (2-0, 1 pen), A McStravick. 
Subs: L Ní Corráin (0-1) for E McCartney (45), C Mag Fhearaigh for F Fallon (48).

ST JOHN'S: A Hesketh; C Carleton, S Boyle, SJ McGuigan; N McArdle, O Cardwell, E Boyd; M Mulholland, D O'Reilly (0-2); TL Finnegan (2-3), C Hamill, C Burns (0-1); N Clarke (2-0), D Boyd, M Laverty.
Subs: N Hamill for D Boyd (HT), L Adams for M Mulholland (38), A Quinn for E Boyd (46).

REFEREE: Gerard Dougan (Creggan)