By Deniese O’Flaherty

Ballinrobe CS 2-9
St. Anne’s SS 0-4

Ballinrobe CS captured the Lidl Post Primary School All-Ireland Senior C title with a comprehensive win over St. Anne’s Secondary School from Tipperary played at the impressive Glenamaddy GAA grounds in Galway.

Great credit to both sides who had to brave the wintry elements to serve up a good game of football in a final which had to be switched from Banagher in Offaly due to an unplayable pitch. From the start Ballinrobe looked the sharper in front of the posts and their defence was solid too.

Maura Hughes kicked the first score of the game after three minutes. Both sides had plenty of possession but the next score didn’t arrive until the 14th minute when Chloe Stagg fired over a free for Ballinrobe. St. Anne’s soaked up the pressure and got their first score in the 18th minute when Roisin Carew kicked a fine point.

At the other end Stagg kicked two more frees to put three between the sides in the 22nd minute. One minute later Hughes passed the ball to Kate Brennan and she buried the ball to the net to extend the lead to six points.

Chloe O’Neill got a much needed point for St. Anne’s in the 26th minute. Just before the break Carew kicked her second point from a free to leave four between them at 1-4 to 0-3.

In the first minute of the second half Ballinrobe had a goal chance but Emily Hughes shot straight at Anne’s keeper Caoiinn Grogan. St. Anne’s had chances to get more scores on the board  but two frees were caught on the line by the Ballinrobe defence.

Two more frees from the boot of Stagg and a good point from Hughes extended Ballinrobe’s lead to seven after 49 minutes of play. St. Anne’s struggled to get scores and needed a goal, which they couldn’t get. Carew converted a free in the 51st minute their first and what turned out to be their only score of the second half.

Substitute Tara Fitzpatick kicked a fine point in the 52nd minute for Ballinrobe and four minutes later the Mayo school got their second goal through substitute Ursula Shaughnessy. Ballinrobe captain Ali Hughes got up at the end to fire over a point to seal a fine win for her school.

Scorers - Ballinrobe CS: C Stagg 0-5 (5f), K Brennan, U Shaughnessy 1-0 each, M Hughes 0-2, A Hughes, T Fitzpatrick 0-1 each.

St. Anne’s SS: R Carew 0-3 (2fs), C O’Neill 0-1.

BALLINAROBE CS: K Hughes; E Shaughnessy, S Vahey, S McHale; R Gallagher, A Hughes, L Tiernan; K Brennan, R Burke; R McGrath, M O’Donnell, E Jennings; A Reilly, M Hughes, C Stagg. Subs: T Fitzpatrick for Reilly 11, U Shaughnessy for Jennings 53, A Wade for S McHale and L O’Connor for McGrath 58.

ST. ANNE’S SS: C Grogan; C Gubbins, T Ryan, R Crosse; J Nugent, L Maher, O Crowe; M Crowe, I Heuston; S O’Grady, R Carew, L O’Dwyer; C O’Neill, E Gleeson, G Crowe. Subs: A Butler for Gleeson 41, A O’Connor for O’Dwyer 56, L Kennedy for Crowe 60+3.

REFEREE: Angela Gallagher (Meath).

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