Moran and Igunma are the Taylor’s Hill heroes

Dominican College 1

Moville CS 1

AET – Taylor’s Hill  won 5-4 on penalties

 DOMINICAN College, Taylor’s Hill became the first school from the city – and only the second from Galway, after Presentation College Headford in 2003 – to claim the Umbro FAI Senior Schools Girls All-Ireland title thanks to a penalty shoot-out success over defending champions, Moville Community College of Donegal at McSharry Park in Sligo on Wednesday.

In what was a highly entertaining game, the Galway girls recovered from a nervous start, and the concession of a goal midway through the first-half, to go in level at the break courtesy of an Alanna Moran strike that was worthy of gracing any final at any level.

They were the better side through the second-half, and only grew in strength as the game entered extra-time, but they couldn’t fashion a winner and instead had to rely on the lottery of the penalty shoot-out to claim the title.

It was fitting that the two key protagonists in that shoot-out success were Moran and goalkeeper Anesi Igunma – Igunma, who was outstanding throughout the game, saved the second Moville effort, and it was Moran who sealed the title with a confident finish with Taylor’s fifth effort.

The defending champions had three international schools’ players in their squad, and their early passing and movement suggested they would have too much experience and class for the Galway girls, but once Taylor’s Hill overcame those understandable early nerves, they grew into the game and by the end it was they who looked to be the seasoned side.

Every successful team needs a strong spine, and Taylor’s Hill had that in abundance. Igunma was outstanding in goals, a series of coaching sessions with former Galway United ’keeper Mark Cobey having clearly borne fruit; the central-defensive partnership of Aibhe Farrell and Shauna Fox provided a defensive rock which Moville struggled to breach; Elle Rose O’Flaherty – the daughter of Ricky O’Flaherty – and Ciara Lynagh won the central midfield battle against their more vaunted opponents; while Moran was a constant threat up front.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.