Ballymahon Secondary School U-14 girls win Leinster ‘B’ title with ease

Ladies Football Leinster Post-Primary Schools U-14 ‘B’ Final: Mercy Ballymahon 9-14 Loreto Navan 3-5

Mercy Ballymahon Secondary literally showed no mercy when they hammered Loreto, Navan on their way to winning the Ladies Football Leinster Post-Primary Schools U-14 ‘B’ title with ease.

The completely one-sided provincial final was played at the St Loman’s GAA grounds in Mullingar on Thursday last and it was a ruthless display from the Ballymahon school with the outstanding Sarah Dillon causing havoc.

Dillon, from Milltown in Co Westmeath, was the star of the show as she clocked up a total of seven goals and six points (7-6) in what was a tremendous personal achievement but it must be said that Ballymahon SS produced a complete team performance in this terrific triumph.

Dillon registered the game’s opening point within seconds of the throw-in but Ballymahon were then dealt a blow when Eva Hunter grabbed a goal for Loreto and Millie Burke followed up with a point for the Navan school.

The Ballymahon SS response was immediate with Sarah Dillon getting her first goal in the 5th minute. Points were scored each side of a second Dillon goal as Mercy extended their early advantage.

Shona Loughran pointed a free for Loreto in the 14th minute but Mercy replied with another goal from Dillon. And in the 18th minute she scored a fourth goal from a penalty after Ciara Fox was fouled.

Dillon then set up Fox for a goal in the 20th minute and one minute later Dillon raised the green flag again as Mercy got a sixth goal.

Loreto were stunned and while they got their third point in the 27th minute, right before the break Dillon hit over a free as Mercy Ballymahon stretched their lead to 16 points at half-time, 6-4 to 1-3.

Ballymahon didn’t let up on the scoring in the second half. They hit over seven unanswered points before Loreto got a second goal in the 38th minute and Orlagh Lally followed up with a point.

Sarah Dillon got her side’s seventh goal soon after and converted a free before Ciara Fox fired over a fine point. Loreto replied with 1-1 but Mercy Ballymahon ended the game strong with Ciara Fox scoring a great goal and Dillon adding another 1-1 to her tally as the south Longford school finished with a flurry.

MERCY BALLYMAHON: Blathnaid McDonagh; Caoimhe Lohan, Roisin Leen, Sinead O’Neill; Rebecca O’Kane, Clodagh Dillon, Muireann Claffey; Aisling McCormack (0-2), Ciara Healy (0-2); Sarah Dillon (7-6, 2 frees), Donna Hannifin, Petrina Carrigy (0-2); Zoe Guinane, Sophie Hogan, Ciara Fox (2-2).

Subs:- Rebecca Gill for D Hannifin (30 mins); Claire Byrne for S Hogan (37 mins); Ella McMonagle for M Claffey (48 mins); Ellen Shannon for Z Guinane (51 mins); Niamh Dempsey for C Dillon (51 mins).

LORETO, NAVAN: Karen McNulty; Eleanor Murchan, Leanne Harris, Eimear Kinsella; Clara McKenna, Aoife Farrell, Sophie Finnegan; Orlagh Lally (0-1), Sorcha Gough (0-1); Shona Loughran (0-1, free), Kathleen Yore, Millie Burke (0-1); Eva Hunter (1-0), Tara Bergin (2-1), Anna Muldoon.

Subs:- Leah Kearney for S Loughran (injured, 10 mins), Ailish Lenihan for K Yore (34 mins); Alison O’Toole for C McKenna (53 mins); Aoife Farrell for S Loughran (57 mins).

Referee: Niall McCormack (Laois).