Bennett shots Glenties to All-Ireland title

Lidl All-Ireland Senior C Final

St. Columba’s Comprehensive School, Glenties 5-8 Dunmore Community School 1-11

By Darren Kelly

ST Columba’s Comprehensive School from Glenties became Donegal’s first ever Lidl All-Ireland Senior C Ladies Football champions with a five-star display to beat Dunmore Community School by nine points at Kilcoyne Memorial Park in Tubbercurry.

Two goals each from Jessica Gallagher and Mia Bennett along with an Eve Boyle Carr green flag secured Charlene McNeill’s team the spoils but it took until near the three quarter mark to get the job done.

Megan Healy opened for Dunmore on three minutes but it was St. Columba’s who struck the first blow two minutes later when Aoife McDermott’s hand pass towards the right corner was won by Gallagher who found the roof of the net.

They held that lead until the 14th minute as two Rebecca Noone points equalised. However, a Glenties attacked secured their second reward on the quarter hour. Cora Doherty found Bennett who passed across to Boyle Carr who kicked into an empty net.

The Galway side reduced arrears through two Healy points on 23 minutes. Bennett responded with St. Columba’s first white flag and she added a free on 27 minutes.

Dunmore launched themselves back into proceedings before the break. Healy passed to Noone who decided to go on her own. Despite being surrounded by four defenders, she got within range before slotting into the far corner.

The teams were all square but parity was short lived. McDermott and Caoimhe Gallagher gave Glenties a 2-4 to 1-5 interval lead.

Two Noone frees within four minutes of the restart levelled again but Glenties were soon back ahead. Placed balls for Caoimhe Gallagher and Bennett outscored Dunmore’s Healy leaving it 2-6 to 1-8 on 38 minutes.

And over the next 10 minutes, St. Columba’s pulled out of sight. Bennett got her first goal 60 seconds later, before Ava Caulfield and Doherty provided Jessica Gallagher for another on 41 minutes.

Bennett added a point but when she took Caulfield’s quick ball on 49 minutes, she struck the fifth major and they were 5-7 to 1-8 clear.

Dunmore battled until the end with Chloe Costello, Noone and Isabelle Murray tallying. But this was Glenties’ day with captain Bennett getting the final point.

Scorers

Glenties: M Bennett 2-5 (2f), J Gallagher 2-0, E Boyle Carr 1-0, C Gallagher 0-2 (1f), A McDermott 0-1.

Dunmore: R Noone 1-5 (3f), M Healy 0-4, I Murray 0-1 (1f), C Costello 0-1.

GLENTIES: E Whittington; Rionach Doherty, O Molloy, Reiltin Doherty; K McHugh, C Sweeney, E McDevitt; A Caulfield, C Doherty; S Campbell, J Gallagher, A McDermott; C Gallagher, M Bennett, E Boyle Carr. Subs: S Porter Murry for Reiltin Doherty (37), S Molloy for McHugh (58), C Early for Sweeney (60).

DUNMORE: E Diskin; E Daly, A Costello, E Concannon; E Heneghan, M Hanley, C Diskin; K Slattery, I Murray; R Noone, M Healy, S Kilgarriff; L Kearney, G Dooley, A O’Connor. Subs: S Hartnett for Kearney (29), C Costello for Dooley (45), E Burns for E Diskin (48), A Deane for Hanley (54).

REFEREE: Gus Chapman (Mayo)