Newcastle West's Scoil Mhuire agus Íde come up short against Bailieborough in All-Ireland Junior 'C' final

BAILIEBOROUGH Community School, of Cavan, defeated Newcastle West's Scoil Mhuire agus Íde 9-13 to 4-7 in the Lidl All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football Post Primary Schools final on Wednesday afternoon in Ballinasloe. 

The Cavan school were exceptional and clinical throughout. Limerick's Scoil Mhuire agus Íde battled hard but they had no answer for them in a goal-packed final in Duggan Park.

Bailieborough CS made the perfect start to the game. They won the ball in their own half, McPhillips made a great run before she passed the ball to Lucie Gibson who found the back of the net inside the opening minute.

The Cavan school were ahead by seven in the ninth minute. Munster champions Scoil Mhuire agus Íde got their first score in the 10th minute when Eva Power kicked over a free. Emma Horgan fired over a point but Bailieborough replied in terrific fashion with goals from McPhillips and Leila Cooney. 

McPhillips stretched the lead to 15 points in the 25th minute with an excellent goal. One minute later they were down to 14 when Gibson was sin binned. Power and Olivia O’Brien added points for SMI but they were cancelled out by scores from Abby Reilly (free) and Caoimhe Brady as Bailieborough held a 4-7 to 0-4 lead at the break.

Two minutes had elapsed in the second half when McPhillips grabbed her third goal and her side’s fifth; a stunning finish after a great run from the midfielder. SMI keeper Maeve Cussen was called into action shortly after and denied the Cavan school twice in quick succession with good saves.

SMI grabbed a goal back in the 40th minute when Power got through and fired low to the net. One minute later O’Brien raised the green flag for the Limerick school.

Bailieborough didn’t panic though and scored three goals in a two minute spell; Abby Reilly with one and Gibson scoring two, one of them from a penalty. 

It was all action and the impressive McPhillips followed that up with a point in the 46th minute. She was on the scoresheet minutes later when she grabbed her fourth goal of the contest. 

At the other end Ciara Lanigan raised a green flag and Power followed that up with a point. The scoring didn’t end there and Bailieborough kept the scoreboard ticking over with points from Brady and two from Reilly, one of them a free.

Power scored a penalty right at the end for Scoil Mhuire agus Íde but the day belonged to Bailieborough CS.

SCORERS: Bailieborough CS: E McPhillips 4-1, A Reilly 1-6 (3f), L Gibson 3-0, L Cooney 1-1 (1f), C Brady 0-3, G McCabe, K Browne 0-1 each. Scoil Mhuire agus Íde: E Power 2-5 (1-0 pen, 4fs), O O’Brien 1-1, C Lanigan 1-0, E Horgan 0-1.

BAILIEBOROUGH CS: M Smith; A Connolly, A Rogers, A Clarke; E O’Sullivan, E Lynch, G McCabe; C McNicholl, E McPhillips; E Reilly, A Reilly, K Browne; C Brady, L Gibson, L Cooney. Subs: E Hill for Cooney, O McCullagh for Clarke (both 51), E Farrelly for Lynch (54), B Smith for Reilly, L Kierans for O’Sullivan (60).

SCOIL MHUIRE AGUS ÍDE: M Cussen; G Kelly, K Carr, A Horgan; E Kelly, C Long, A Kelly; O O’Brien, K O’Gorman; E Power, C Lanigan, A Dore; K Clarke, I O’Brien, E Horgan. Subs: C O’Doherty for Kelly, A Kelleher for Dore (both 49), C Lyons for A Kelly (57), A Mullins for Horgan (58). 

REFEREE: Aaron Clogher (Roscommon)