Galway minor ladies retain title in thriller

Galway 3-21

Cork       4-13

GALWAY minor ladies footballers completed the notable achievement of back-to-back All-Ireland title wins when seeing off a determined Cork challenge in a thrill-a-minute decider in Birr on Bank Holiday Monday evening.

Following on from their success over Dublin in 2013, the young Tribeswomen continued their dominance at this grade with another superb victory – but they had it all to do to shackle a Cork side that put them to the pin of their collar, particularly in the opening period.

Indeed, three Cork goals in that time would have rocked a lesser team but the defending champions showed great resolve to respond to those setbacks and, as the game progressed, they just got stronger and stronger.

While defensively Galway were all at sea for two-thirds of this tie, they clung to old adage that the best form of defence was attack and it certainly paid rich dividends as the likes of Shauna Hynes and Player of the Match Nicola Ward drove on their team continually from their defensive berths.

Ward, especially, was a colossus and whenever the centre-half back was on the ball, more often than not, positive results were reaped up front. In this respect, Olivia Divilly, Louise Ward and Emma Reaney were to the fore in the attack while the introduction of the multi-talented Ciana Ní Churraoin, who struck for two vital late goals to break the Cork challenge, and Ciara Burke added fresh impetus to Galway’s endeavours in the concluding stages of the contest.

In addition, midfielder Megan Glynn also proved to be a productive link between the Galway rearguard and their offensive lines and, indeed, the power and athleticism of the Tribeswomen around the middle of the field was pivotal in breaking down an otherwise resilient Cork outfit.

Consequently, Galway’s relentless pressure eventually told on the Munster champions and, although guilty of not taking their goal chances earlier, the Connacht champions’ fortunes changed for the better with Ní Churraoin’s introduction.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.