Longford Ladies SFC Final: A superb achievement as Slashers are crowned four-in-a-row county senior champions
Droplink Ladies Football Senior Championship Final
Longford Slashers . . . 0-10 Clonguish . . . 1-6
Played in difficult windy conditions, Slashers had to dig deep to complete a superb four-in-a-row at senior level as Clonguish were left to rue a total of 11 wides during the course of this extremely tight contest.
Slashers were also guilty of shooting a number of wides (7 in total) with Kate Shannon going very close to scoring a goal in the 53rd minute.
A couple of minutes later it was the turn of Clonguish full-forward Aisling Greene for a match winning goal attempt but her shot was brilliantly blocked by Slashers defender Emer O’Brien.
Greene did find the back of the net in the early stages of the game after Slashers had stormed into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead and the sides ended up deadlocked at the break, 0-6 to 1-3.
The reigning champions' greater experience got them across the line in the tense and exciting finish to lift the Alison Smyth Cup yet again and Slashers can now look forward to the Leinster Intermediate Club Championship quarter-final on October 23 against the Westmeath Intermediate winners or Old Leighlin (Carlow).
LONGFORD SLASHERS: Emer Casy; Laura Kenny, Emily Reilly, Grace Kenny; Orla Nevin (0-1), Emer O’Brien, Clare Farrell; Aoife O’Brien, Aisling Cosgrove; Lisa Nolan, Grace Shannon (0-1), Kyana Lee; Kate Shannon (0-1), Jessica Barry (0-6, five frees), Kara Shannon (0-1).
Subs:- Grace O’Donnell for L Kenny (43 mins); Jill Glennon for C Farrell (51 mins).
CLONGUISH: Aoife Cooney; Caitriona Moore, Maria Kelleher, Ciara Sutton; Ella Duggan, Mairead Moore, Hannah Glennon; Aoife Magan, Oonagh Shanley (0-1); Megan Glennon, Ciara Healy (0-4, two frees), Katelyn McKeon; Niamh Darcy, Aisling Greene (1-0), Kamille Burke (0-1).
Subs:- Oonagh McGowan for H Glennon (half-time); Lynn Gregg for K Burke (42 mins); Hannah Burke for C Moore (57 mins).
Referee: David Tiernan (Ardagh Moydow).