Hard work the key as St Mary’s prevail
St Mary’s NS, Enfield...............................3-11
Ard Rí CNS, Navan....................................1-6
Hard work and skill. They can take a team a long way in any football game as St Mary’s, NS, Enfield showed when they marched to victory in this Girls’ Div 1 Shield final at Trim on Thursday.
Ahead by 1-5 to 0-2 at the interval Enfield powered their way to the title in the second-half although they certainly didn’t have it all their own way. A brave, hard-grafting Ard Rí side made them work hard for every score.
Some measure of the early problems the eventual champions had to deal with was witnessed in the opening minute when St Mary’s goalkeeper Taylor Byrne had to make a smart save from Ard Rí’s Tianna Paraschiv.
Eventually St Mary’s got a stranglehold and a superbly-taken goal from their full-forward Jade McNamara helped them go in at the break with their six-point advantage.
Early in the second-half Ard Rí tenaciously fought back but further goals from McNamara and Ellie-May O’Neill ensured St Mary’s ended up with the shield.
Team captain O’Neill led by example. Not only did she score 1-4, she got involved in numerous attacks while McNamara, who finished with 2-3, was another source of real inspiration and scores as her tally indicates.
Suin Farrell and Cecilia Suvay Vieira were other big stars for the St Mary’s team who had heroes all over the pitch willing to give everything for the cause.
With twin sisters and joint-captains Ava and Chloe Chaney driving Ard Rí on from midfield St Mary’s could never relax.
Annie Clarke was also a major threat for Ard Rí. She finished with three points but despite her team’s brave efforts there was just no stopping St Mary’s - once it got going.
St Mary’s NS, Enfield: Taylor Byrne; Vanessa Zakrzewska, Éabha Walsh, Rachel Adio; Molly Flynn, Aoife Greiner, Sophia Hardiman; Suín Farrell (0-2), Fiadh Derivan; Nadia Zakrzewska, Ellie-May O’Neill (1-4 one free), Amilia Britton; Abbie Naughton, Jade McNamara (2-3), Cecilia Suvay Vieira (0-2 one free). Subs: Emily Courtney, Abigail Mocanu, Sefora Barbu, Lena Lepa, Flourish Oluwalagba, Kaela Leamy Flanagan, Sara Twomey, Isabelle Burke, Fiadh Curran, Chloe Farrelly, Emma Gavin, Isabelle Greville, Casey-Lee Hassett, Ruby Mulligan, Rose Murray, Elza Cudina, Zoe O’Sullivan, Jessica O’Sullivan, Jasmine O’Reilly. Mentors: L Codd, S Conneely.
Ard Rí CNS, Navan: Emma Bosanovic; Ciara Finn, Melissa Kayan, Amber Whelan Tully; Chanelle Negi, Sarah Foley, Leela Gibney; Ava Chaney (0-2), Chloe Chaney (0-1); Elizabeth-Sofia Merenciuc, Annie Clarke (0-3 two frees), Tianna Paraschiv (0-1); Artessa Paraschiv, Kellie Rock, Cora Barrett-Clarke. Subs: Grace McCarron, Donnamili Paraschiv, Rachele Rosaria Fusaro, Ruby Roses Booth, Nicola Mikolajczyk, Cally McManus, Alissa Curran, Akshalaa Kamalenderan, Emili Pruteanu, Myleene Redmond, Alishah Shafique, Sara Buzenchi, Eva Sophia Cristea, Iona Dunleavy, Saoirse Murphy. Mentors: Sarah Anderson, Aoife McCluskey, Aoife Gavin, Ailis Bruce.
Referee: Padraig Farrell (St Oliver’s NS, Navan).