Comeragh Rangers are Waterford ladies football champions for the first time.
Four goals from Déise attacker Katie Murray and one from substitute Aoibhe Shankey fired them to a spectacular 5-3 to 1-6 win over Ballymacarbry on a freezing cold Friday night in Fraher Field. Ballymac's 42 year reign is over.
Comeragh lost ten of the previous eleven finals to their great rivals but Murray's magic got them over the line at last. "Today is finally our day," joint captain Keeley Corbett Barry exclaimed after she accepted the cup.
In the second minute, a hand passing move involving Emma Murray and Eibhlin Power was palmed to the net by Katie Murray. Aileen Wall fired over Ballymac's first point in the eleventh minute and she added another from a tight angle.
Three goals arrived in two action packed minutes. Katie Murray was quickest to react when her sister Emma struck the post. She attempted a fisted point but there wasn't enough power on it and the ball deflected off a Ballymacarbry defender and into the net. Ballymac hit back straight away as Bríd McMaugh beat three defenders and poked home. Katie Murray then set off on a solo run, got the better of three blue shirts and billowed the top corner. A first half hat trick gave the challengers a 3-1 to 1-3 advantage at the interval.
Ballymac cut the gap to one in the third quarter as Kellyann Hogan, McMaugh and Lily Browne all raised white flags. Máiread Power got Comeragh's first point of the second period on 43 minutes. Emma Murray intercepted the subsequent kickout and supplied Katie for her fourth green flag. Substitute Aoibhe Shankey lashed in a fifth nine minutes from time. Comeragh are no longer the bridesmaids.
Scorers for Comeragh Rangers: K Murray 4-0, A Shankey 1-0, C Hassett, M Power, C Power 0-1 each.
Scorers for Ballymacarbry: B McMaugh 1-1, L Browne, A Wall 0-2 each, K Hogan 0-1.
Comeragh Rangers: A Norris; N Dunphy, T Kelly, O Kennedy; C Hassett, C Murray, A Murray; E Murray, K Corbett Barry; A Power, K Murray, M Power; C Power, E Power, A Connolly.
Subs: S Dunphy for A Connolly (41), A Shankey for C Power (41), E Bolger for A Power (51), K Broxson for M Power (55), S Connolly for E Power (60).
Ballymacarbry: L Fitzpatrick; S Hallinan, M McGrath, M Ryan; K McGrath, R Browne, G Carrigan; A Barron, K Hogan; A Wall, B McMaugh, C Ryan; L Browne, C Walsh, S Peters.
Subs: O Barron for C Ryan (HT), C Hallinan for L Browne (47), A McCarra for Walsh (60).
Referee: P Smith
