Kilcock withstand late Na Fianna rally to claim Junior title
Kilcock claimed Junior Championship glory by the finest of margins with a 3-8 to 3-7 win
Kilcock 3-8
Na Fianna 3-7
Two second half goals from Kilcock ensured they sealed their place as the Ayu Junior Football Champions as they subjected Na Fianna to defeat yet again despite a late stoppage goal looked to cause some tense moments near the finish for Kilcock supporters.
Na Fianna burst into an early advantage with Erin Lenihan netting inside the opening minute of action.
Responding early Kilcock got off the mark through an Aisling O’Connor point before Mikaela McKenna again looked to further the Na Fianna effort.
A further exchange of points at opposite ends of the pitch from Anna Price and Eve Powderly left Kilcock trailing by a goal with nine minutes remaining in the opening half.
From the kick out Kilcock looked to press high allowing Powderly to gain possession once more she levelled matters before Grace White and Tara Higgins traded frees to maintain parity into the break.
Returning Kilcock were aware they needed to be the first from the off to leave Na Fianna under pressure and a point from White inside the opening minute looked to ensure this.
Growing into the tie Lavin netted to leave Kilcock four clear before Na Fianna could get to the pace of the second half.
An Amy Fitzpatrick free before a Sarah O’Sullivan point cut the deficit in half before White chipped over a placed ball to keep three points between the sides.
With the clock ticking into the final ten minutes of action Ciara Moran stepped forward gathering possession beating four Kilcock defenders before slicing over from an acute angle. Responding immediately through a Teahan McGonigle goal Kilcock left Na Fianna in search a score to keep their hopes alive once again.
With proven goal scorer Mikaela McKenna in the full forward line this wasn’t the tallest of asks.
Netting seven minutes from time Kilcock only held a two point advantage. Knowing how precarious this was a Grace White brace again soon sent this to four as they looked to put daylight between the sides with time fast running out.
A trading of points from Fitzpatrick and Lavin worked the clock deep into stoppage time before McKenna send Eimear Kelly left to make a late save. With Erin Lenihan perched to profit from the rebound, she netted to leave the difference to one, but with no time left for the kick out Kilcock survived the late flurry to again leave Na Fianna nursing the sores of a final day defeat.
Scorers: Na Fianna: Erin Lenihan 2-1; Mikaela McKenna 1-1; Aimee Fitzpatrick 0-2 (2f); Ciara Moran 0-1; Anna Price 0-1; Tara Higgins 0-1 (1f).
Kilcock: Grace White 0-5 (3f); Eve Powderly 1-1; Sarah Lavin 1-1; Teagan McGonagle 1-0; Aisling O’Connor 0-1.
NA FIANNA: Irene Heavey; Gracie O’Gorman, Eleanor Trearty, Roisin McCormack; Sophia Manning, Chloe Wiltshire, Doireann Peelo; Ciara Moran, Hayley Wiltshire; Anna Price, Aimee Fitzpatrick, Caoimhe Bagnall; Erin Lenihan, Tara Higgins, Mikaela McKenna. Subs: Niamh O’Mahony for Price (49 minutes); Shannon Farrell for Bagnall (59 minutes); ; Roisin Murphy for McCormack (60 minutes).
KILCOCK: Eimear Kelly; Marie Finan, Andrea McGrath, Alannah Morrow; Rianna Cribbin, Emma Maguire, Teigan McGonagle; Sheena Byrne, Sarah O’Sullivan; Laura Gibbons, Aisling O’Connor, Sarah Lavin; Eve Powderly, Grace White, Sophie Nolan. Subs: Cliona Ni Dhushlaine for Gibbons (42 minutes).