Annaghdown fall at the final hurdle to classy Carlow side

Annaghdown    1-7

By DARREN KELLY AT CROKE PARK

HISTORY was made in last Saturday’s All-Ireland intermediate ladies football final but it wasn’t Annaghdown  cementing their status in the record books as Carlow’s Bennekerry-Tinryland became the county’s first ever national club winners.

Two Cliodhna Ní Shé goals told the difference as the Galway champions struggled to handle their opponents’ direct approach even if Annaghdown briefly led midway during the first half.

Ciara McCarthy concluded a well worked move to give Martin O’Neill’s team a two point advantage, but the 2016 All-Ireland champions saw their hopes of becoming the country’s inaugural two-time winners at this grade gradually evaporate in the cold Dublin air.

Annaghdown were marginal favourites based on having eight survivors from eight years previously but Bennekerry-Tinryland’s firepower was evident from the first attack. Ní Shé and Lauren Dwyer were a constant thorn for the maroon and white.

They opened the scoring from a Ní Shé free on three minutes and they nearly struck the first big blow when Leah Mullins found the Carlow scorer-in-chief but her attempt went wide.

Annaghdown dropped two balls short as they desperately looked to open their account. Dwyer got off the mark in the eighth minute to double Bennekerry-Tinryland’s lead before their opponents finally started to find their feet.

While the Leinster champions were racking up wides, Annaghdown’s attack struggled to test the Carlow rearguard needing defensive players to push forward  Regina Naughton spotted the advancing Bronagh Quinn who converted in the 10th minute.

The pendulum swung as Annaghdown weaved patterns through the opposing defence as Jemma Burke, Sarah O’Grady and Ciara McCarthy came close only for an interception to foil their movement. A breakthrough wasn’t far from coming, however.

And despite the low scoring, it was worth waiting for as on 14 minutes, Emma Keane offloaded to O’Grady on the left.  The wing forward hit a diagonal pass with perfect precision for McCarthy to come in behind the last defender and finish to the net.

Annaghdown were 1-1 to 0-2 in front, an advantage they held for eight minutes.  But attacks were still falling short and they were losing turnovers. Another score was required but Bennekerry-Tinryland seized the initiative.

Pictured: Annaghdown goalkeeper Eleanor Lynch is tackled by Sarah Nolan of Bennekerry-Tinryland during the LGFA All-Ireland Club  Intermediate Final at Croke Park on Saturday. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.