LADIES FOOTBALL
Iosagain girls come up short in All-Ireland final
Daire Walsh
SUBSTITUTE Sinead De Bhuilde contributed a brace of second-half goals at Nowlan Park on Monday afternoon, but Coláiste Íosagáin ultimately came up short against Scoil Mhuire, Carrick-on-Suir in the All-Ireland PPS Senior ‘A’ Ladies Football Final.
Íosagáin were hoping to replicate their 2014 success over Coláiste Dún Iascaigh of Cahir, while 2015 also saw them claiming a magnificent All-Ireland Junior Schools double. Points from Michelle Ní Chiardha (two) and Hannah Ní Dheá kept them in contention during the early exchanges, but following a well-worked goal from Kelly Corbett Barry, the Munster outfit brought a 1-7 to 0-3 advantage into the break.
An Aoife Murray point extended Mhuire’s lead upon the resumption, before Billy Kate Huggard, Michelle Ní Chiardha and Grace Ní Shé helped Íosagáin to build some much-needed momentum.
When Geraldine Power found the back of the Íosagáin net, it looked like the outcome had been placed beyond doubt, but de Bhuilde’s two-goal salvo ensured that the southsiders were within touching distance.
Indeed, Ní Chiardha and Ní Shé points cut the gap down to three points, but then Scoil Mhuire scored 2-5 without reply, with goals from Power and Beth Norris, as they finished with 14 points to spare (4-16 to 2-8).