Virginia NS girls impress in Division 1 final

Cumann na mBunscol Girls Division 1 final

St Mary's NS, Virginia 0-7

Butlersbridge NS 0-1

Virginia NS emerged victorious in the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Division 1 Girls Football Final when they had six points to spare over Butlersbridge NS in Kingspan Breffni.

Butlersbridge NS opened the scoring with their first attack with Elsie McEvoy dissecting the posts in the opening minute. Ella McAnarney responded for Virginia NS with a second minute point to draw the sides level. Elsie McEvoy then had a golden chance to score a goal for Butlersbridge NS in the sixth minute, but she was denied by an excellent save from Keava Preston in the Virginia NS goals.

Aine Brady raided up the park to clip over the lead point for Virginia NS with seven minutes gone to shoot them into a lead that they would not relinquish, for the remainder of the contest. Butlersbridge NS had another goal opportunity arrive nearing the end of the first half but again they were out of luck as Eve Ferguson pulled her shot narrowly wide of the Virginia NS goal. With both sides guilty of some erratic finishing the first half was a very low scoring affair as it ended with Virginia NS holding a slender 0-2 to 0-1 half time cushion.

Virginia NS took nine minutes into the second half to add to their first half tally, with Ella McAnarney shooting over her second point, of the final. McAnarney, who was excellent for her school then fisted over a point in the 33rd minute, as they opened up a three-point lead. Butlersbridge NS who also had some fine performances with their forward line always a threat, it was just their finishing and excellent Virginia NS defending that kept them at bay.

Eve Ferguson had another goal chance but again was denied by the expert goalkeeping of Keava Preston in the Virginia NS goals. Lily Morgan, who was one of the stars on the day for Virginia NS grabbed her first point of the day in the 38th minute and Ella McAnarney curled over a point to increase their lead to 0-6 to 0-1. Lily Morgan got the final score for her school in the 40th minute to add late gloss to the scoreline and seal the success.

Virginia NS’s ability to convert their chances created into scores was the main difference between the two sides at the end in this Allianz Cumann an mBunscol Division 1 Girls decider as Butlersbridge NS did play well and created chances it was just their profligacy in front of goals that let them down ultimately.

St Mary’s, Virginia NS: Keava Preston, Kate Muldoon, Georgia Murphy, Sophia Sharkey, Michaela Morgan, Saoirse Macken, Aine Brady(0-1), Moya O’Hara, Sophia Kavanagh, Lily Morgan(0-2), Ella McAnarney(0-4), Lily Delaney, Kate Farrelly

Subs: Doireann Brennan, Hollie O’Reilly, Cobh Bowers, Sadbh Daly, Fianna O’Reilly, Yvonne Casey, Maisy Crawley, Jennifer Fitzsimmons, Grace Galligan, Rachel Dunne, Aoibhin Oates, Ruby Ellen Doyle Moore, Taylor Nolan Maher, Sarah Potter, Lily McDevitt, Evie McManus, Isla Murphy

Butlersbridge NS: Emma Lynch, Ciara Gallagher, Chloe Clarke, Dervla O’Callaghan, Ava Baker, Kayla Whelan, Mya Smith, Lauren McEntee, Caoimhe Mulhall, Elsie McEvoy(0-1), Eve Ferguson, Naoishe Johnston, Anna Duignan

Subs: Zahra Shahzad, Saira Memon, Chloe McArdle, Kate O’Reilly, Eve Duignan, Maria Lazdauskas, Aniela Mizak, Kalyn Florence, Neela O’Brien, Molly Sudbury, Lauren Graham, Ammara Memon.

Referee: Martin Brady.