Armagh claimed the LGFA All-Ireland U16 B title for the first time with a hard fought win over Waterford in an entertaining encounter in Kinnegad.
Six points was the difference in the end but entering stoppage time Armagh were just ahead by two points after Waterford staged a brave comeback.
The Orchard County made the perfect start to the game. Within the opening six minutes they’d built up a six-point lead. Lily McBennett opened the scoring inside the first minute. Alannah O’Neill followed up with a point before Caoimhe Gallgy found the back of the net in the fifth minute.
Bennett then kicked over a free to put six between the sides. Waterford were back in the game in the eighth minute through a Clodagh Power goal. Armagh responded with points from O’Neill and Gallgy. Míde McCusker got a point for the Deise in the 12th minute.
Waterford had chances but took wrong options while Armagh made their possession count; they played good football and in the 18th minute they got their second goal through McBennett.
Treasa Ní Chrotaigh got a point for Waterford in the 25th minute. A terrific move in the 28th minute ended with a fine point for McBennett and just before the break O’Neill scored her third point of the game to give her side a 2-8 to 1-2 interval lead.
Points were traded between Ní Chrotaigh and Gallgy (‘45) in the early minutes of the second half. Armagh were dealt a blow in the 38th minute when Aoife McDonald was sin-binned.
Waterford kicked over two points before Gallgy put away a penalty in the 42nd minute to extend Armagh’s lead to 11 points. Waterford weren’t out of the game despite the gap and great credit to them for their fightback.
Substitute Siún Mernin got a goal in the 45th minute. Then two quick fire goals from Power saw the gap cut to just three points in the 56th minute. She pointed a free minutes later to leave just two between the sides.
Ruby Browne saw her shot go wide as the Deise went in search of another goal. Armagh didn’t panic. A pointed free from McBennett edged them ahead by three points and substitute Cassie Henderson sealed the win with a goal near the end.
Scorers - Armagh: C Gallgy 2-3 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), L McBennett 1-5 (0-2f), A O’Neill 0-3, C Henderson 1-0, E Hart 0-1.
Waterford: C Power 3-1 (0-1f), T Ní Chrotaigh 0-3 (1f), S Mernin 1-0, M McCusker, A Kirwan 0-1 each.
ARMAGH: C Havern; A Hagan, M McGrane, E Owens; B Carragher, E Melanophy, A Lavery; E McCafferty, E Hart; L McBennett, A McDonald, E Meabh Duffy; R Murphy, A O’Neill, C Gollogly. Subs: C Henderson for Murphy (33), A McGeown for Hagan (43), J McCreesh for Lavery (46), O Campbell for Carragher (51).
WATERFORD: G Corcoran; R Power, C Cullinan, E Campbell; A McHugh, J Whelan, K Winkle; R Browne, A Tobin; S Peters, T Ní Chrotaigh, A Power; C Power, M McCusker, E Power. Subs: A Kirwan for E Power and S Connolly for Tobin (ht), S Mernin for McCusker (43), R Shankey for McHugh (54).
Referee: Ger Canny (Mayo).
