St Jude’s 3-9
Mullinahone 1-8
First-half goals from Caoimhe McGrath, Aoife Keyes and Aisling Gannon were key as St Jude’s lifted the All-Ireland Junior Football title with a seven-point win over Mullinahone.
The Templeogue club led by six points at the break and kept their cool with the winds at their backs to seal a first-ever national title in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow.
Jeff Kane’s side battled against a stiff breeze in the first half and trailed by six points inside the first ten minutes before hauling themselves back into the game.
Their clinical finishing proved the difference between the sides at half time as three goals in seven minutes turned the tie in favour of the Dubliners.
A low-scoring second half produced just nine points but it was enough to see Jude’s break new ground on a national level.
The outlook appeared bleak early doors as Tipperary side Mullinahone raced into a heft early lead after hitting the net inside the first 30 seconds.
Aoibhe O’Shea provided the finish from the first attack of the game as she latched onto a Denise Gaule pass before lashing past Aoife McAuliffe.
There was to be little respite for the Tymon Park side in the opening quarter as a Catherine Foley point and two from O’Shea stretched the lead to six.
Jude’s finally got off the mark on 13 minutes and it was a vital score as Hannah Hegarty found McGrath, who hit the back of the net to halve the deficit.
Ellie Young cut the gap to two points with a well-taken free before Keyes put Jude’s in front for the first time before the water break.
It got worse for the Tipp side on 20 minutes as Young teed up Gannon for goal number three to make it ten unanswered points for Jude’s.
Niamh Kerr and Young added two more points as Jude’s stretched their lead to seven points, 3-3 to 1-4, before Lorraine O’Shea pulled one back.
Jude’s were reduced to 14 shortly after the break as Lisa Morris was yellow-carded, but Mullinahone couldn’t capitalise.
The Dubliners managed the player disadvantage well and Hegarty and Young struck to cancel out two scores from the impressive Lorraine O’Shea.
Lorraine and Aoibhe O’Shea each added points for Mullinahone late on but it was too little too late as Claire Gannon and Young put over late points to seal the win.
St Jude’s: A McAuliffe; L Doherty, E Browne, L Butler; C McGrath, A Walsh, C Devlin; H Hegarty, N Kerr; A Gannon, E Young, C Nicoletti; L Morris, A Keyes, C Gannon.
Subs: N Murphy for Butler (37), H Begley for Morris (43), L Martina for Keyes (50), R Connolly for Devlin (56), A Darcy for Doherty (58).
Scorers for St Judes: E Young 0-6 (4f), A Keyes 1-0, A Gannon 1-0, C McGrath 1-0, C Gannon 0-1, H Hegarty 0-1, N Kerr 0-1.
Mullinahone: A Browning; E Horan, G Horan, A O’Brien; E Cody, M Walsh, J Brett; N Shelly, D Gaule; C Gunn, M Kenneally, C Foley; L O’Shea, A O’Shea, C Egan.
Subs: M Gillman for Egan (30), A Fennelly for Foley (59).
Scorers: A O’Shea 1-3, L O’Shea 0-4 (1f), C Foley 0-1.
Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).
