The Mill claim Leinster honours

Boardsmill were crowned Ladies Leinster Club IFC champions on Saturday

Boardsmill 3-7

Clonee 1-8

Goals either side of half-time for Laura Dempsey and Amy Troy proved crucial to Boardsmill as they were crowned Ladies Leinster Club IFC champions with a win in the decider over Clonee from Wexford on Saturday in Baltinglass.

The Troy sisters, Rachel, Nicole, Emma and Amy formed a very solid spine for Sean Fitzgerald’s side. In the full-forward line Captain Laura Dempsey and Susan Kealey combined for 2-5 of Boardsmill’s tally. Aideen Guy was superb at full-back.

Clonne rattled the back of the net in the 40th minute, and that goal kept their hopes alive but in the last quarter Boardsmill defended exceptionally well and closed out the contest.

The Wexford side opened the scoring in the second minute when Emma Tomkins set up Maire Byrne for a nice score. Boardsmill then completely seized momentum and rattled off 1-4 on the spin. A nice move that saw Kym McGrath link up with Sarah Bagnall was polished off when Kealey split the posts. A minute later, Paula Dorian set up Kealey who followed up her first point with a brilliant finish to the net for her side’s first goal.

Laura Dempsey turned her marker inside out and got her personal tally of the mark before she added a free a minute later. After just 10 minutes, Boardsmill led 1-4 to 0-1.

Clonee then began to find their rhythm. Catriona Murray slotted a free and three minutes later scored a nice point from a tight angle. Contributions from Karen Tomkins, Megan Hayes and Caoimhe Ryan followed as Clonee reduced the deficit back to the minimum five minutes before the break.

Dorian was also influential in Boardsmill’s second goal as she picked out Dempsey with a pass before the captain produced a bullet finish to the net that Sophie Kirwan had no chance of saving. That goal gave Boardsmill a cosy lead at the break of 2-4 to 0-6.

Straight from the throw-in, Amy Troy gave Boardsmill a boost when she burst through the Clonee defence and rattled the back of the net. She then set up Kealey who had to settle for a white flag after her effort for a second goal clipped the top side of the crossbar.

Emma Tomkins settled Clonee into the second-half with a nice point. Aoibhin Ryan brought her side right back into the contest with a great finish to the top left corner of the net. At the end of the third quarter, Boardsmill still led 3-4 to 1-7.

Dempsey was unlucky not to provide a fourth goal for Boardsmill after Amy Troy played a lovely pass to the dangerous corner forward. Dempsey’s effort went just wide of the left post. Dempsey then set up the prolific Kealey for a nice point.

Clonee tried hard to find a way back into the contest but Boardsmill defended brilliantly and snuffed out most chances that fell the way of the Wexford side. Emma Troy set up Claudia Durkan for a nice insurance score. Sarah Kirwan’s point in the 61st minute was little more than a consolation point. The final whistle sounded soon after which confirmed Boardsmill as Leinster champions. In the Laides All-Ireland IFC semi-final, Boardsmill will have a home game against the Ladies Munster IFC champions Inch Rovers.

Boardsmill: Ciara Ashe; Mae Fahy, Aideen Guy, Sarah Bagnall; Kate McEvoy, Rachel Troy, Kym McGrath; Nicole Troy, Emma Troy (0-1); Laura Bagnell, Amy Troy (1-0), Paula Dorian; Cliona Murray, Susan Kealey (1-3), Laura Dempsey (1-2 one free). Subs: Claudia Durkan (0-1) for McGrath 26m, Hannah Kealey for S Bagnall 45m, Abbie Reilly for Dempsey 54m, Aoife Byrne for L Bagnall 59m.

Clonee: Sophie Kirwan; Danielle Hayden, Mary O’Neill, Hannah Leacy; Ríona Byrne, Marguerite Doyle, Máire Byrne (0-1); Caoimhe Ryan (0-1), Megan Hayes (0-1); Anne Byrne, Emma Tomkins (0-1), Karen Tomkins (0-1); Aoibhín Ryan (1-0), Catriona Murray (1-1 one free), Orlaith Byrne. Subs: Lorna Fortune for C Ryan, Ruby Roche for M Byrne both 45m, Sarah Kirwan (0-1) for Hayes 49m, Liz Evered for A Ryan 51m, Ava Brennan for Doyle 56m.

Referee: Ray McBride (Dublin).