Monagea retain their Limerick Ladies Football title with final victory over St Ailbes

MONAGEA retained their Limerick Senior Ladies Football Championship title this Sunday afternoon with a final win over St Ailbes.

In Bruff Monagea were 1-10 to 1-7 winners over St Ailbes to retain the Tom Madigan Cup.

It's a fourth Limerick LGFA senior crown for the west Limerick side - adding to title wins in 2021, 2018 and 2014.

In this repeat of the 2020 and '19 deciders, it was a strong second half showing that saw the defending champions finally beat the east Limerick side in a decider.

Monagea were captained to success by full back Yvonne Lee, led on the scoresheet by a return of 1-6 (0-3frees) from Catriona Davis and by Player of the Match Deborah Murphy.

2020 winners St Ailbes were 1-5 to 1-3 ahead at half time.

Monagea were 1-3 to 0-2 ahead at the end of the opening quarter with Davis getting their goal on 16-minutes.

Then St Ailbes took over until half time - Mairead Kavanagh had a 20th minute goal and added two points to help her side ahead at the interval.

The lead was out to three points in the opening minute of the second half when Eimear Ryan had a third pointed free.

However, St Ailbes were to score just once more in over 30-minutes of action - a pointed free from Grainne McKenna to leave them 1-7 to 0-16 ahead on the game's 40th minute.

Points from Deborah Murphy and Ellie Woulfe set Monagea on the break for the winning line.

The game was level for the fifth time, 1-7 each, on 42-minutes when with a Davis free. The side in green and gold had just been reduced to 14 players with a yellow card but it didn't deter them.

They were later to be down to 13 players for three minutes, while St Ailbes were also down to 14 for a crucial 10-minute spell at the mid-point of the second half.

Two points from play by Catriona Davis edged her side ahead entering the final 10-minutes.

With both sides back to a full complement in the closing stages, St Ailbes hit the crossbar and upright but it was another Davis point that sealed the Monagea title win.