Donegal ease their way to u-16 title

All-Ireland u-16 C final

Donegal 6-22 Leitrim 4-5

DONEGAL captured the All-Ireland u-16 C title for the first time in history with an emphatic victory over Leitrim at Tempo Maguire GAC in Fermanagh.

Donegal, beaten three times in the u-16 A final, secured their first win in this age grade with an accomplished performance throughout.

But they had to recover after Leitrim got a whirlwind start when a goal from a rebound by Aoibheann McWeeney helped them race into a 1-3 to 0-0 lead.

But goals from Orla Ward and Cayla McFadden saw Donegal take control and they led by 2-11 to 3-4 at the break despite Leitrim goals from Clodagh Kilraine and Caragh Guckian.

A goal from Mabel Keane kept Leitrim, runners-up to Wexford the only other time they were in the All-Ireland i-16 C final a decade ago, in contention but Donegal pulled away.

Mia O’Donnell and Eva McNamara landed some excellent points for Donegal as they stretched their lead.

Orla Ward got their third goal and they sealed the win as Laura Boyle, Cayla McFadden and Kate McCafferty all found the net as Donegal finished in style.

Scorers

Donegal: M O’Donnell 0-8 (0-2f), E McNamara 0-8 (0-1), C McFadden 2-2, O Ward 2-1, L Boyle 1-2, K McCafferty 1-1.

Leitrim: C Kilrane, M Keane, C Guckian 1-1 each; A McWeeney 1-0; L Maye (f), G Devaney 0-1 each.

DONEGAL: A Walsh; K McCafferty, A Wallace, S Black; L Boyle, L Quinn, S Campbell; T Boyle, N Bonnar Gillespie; I McHugh; E McNamara, K Boyle; O Ward, C McFadden, M O’Donnell.
Subs: R Gillespie for K Boyle (37); C Kelly for Campbell (55); C Gillespie for Ward (56); E McDermott for O’Donnell (58).

LEITRIM: M Harte; L Casey, J Hanrahan, K Kenny; N Fox, G Devaney, E Gilmartin; E Guckian, M Keane; A Lyons, C Kilraine, A Crawford; A McWeeney, L Maye, C Guckian
Subs: E McAlister for Crawford (HT); K McNamara for Keane (43); Keane for McWeeney (48); A McKiernan for C Guckian (51); M Doonan for Casey (58).

Referee: David Hurson (Monaghan)