Historic day for ladies football as Moyle Rovers lift the county senior A crown for the first time

Scenes of unconfined joy erupted after an epic battle against Fethard on Sunday after Moyle Rovers ladies clinched their first-ever county A senior football title since the club was founded in 1993.

Years and years of heartbreak and setbacks were forgotten as the players, mentors, families, supporters and so many people who have worked tirelessly to promote ladies football in the club for over three decades basked in the glory of an historic victory.

One of the most magical moments in the history of the club unfolded at the conclusion of the Camida sponsored showpiece final on the Bansha pitch as an emotional  Rovers stalwart Anne Marie McGrath presented the trophy, called the Joe McGrath Cup in honour of her late father, to joint captains Kirsty Crotty-Ryan and Orla Burke.

Tears of joy were shed as people of all ages embraced as the enormity of the achievement of finally securing the coveted silverware was celebrated.

Beaten in six of the last seven senior A  county semi-finals, Moyle Rovers, with a performance of sheer grit, resilience, and strength of character, made their long-awaited appearance in a final count with a thrilling 0-12 to 1-7  victory over Fethard.

The stakes were high with a talented Fethard team going for three in a row and Moyle Rovers desperate to claim a first-ever county A senior title for the club.

Playing an exciting style of football Moyle Rovers recovered from a nightmare start which saw Fethard surge ahead with a goal worked straight from the throw-in from Lucy Spillane after a powerful run from midfield.Fethard added another score through Niamh Hayes and Moyle Rovers found themselves four adrift just five minutes into the game.

Rovers responded with a brace of scores from Kirsty Crotty-Ryan and a point from Emma Cronin that kept them in touch before Fethard suffered a huge blow with goalscorer Lucy Spillane sent to the sin bin for a high challenge.

Fethard dominated, however, and picked off three points in succession while down to fourteen players extending their lead out to four again. Moyle Rovers kept working hard and matched Fethard with three quick-fire points from the outstanding Hazel Brennan, midfield dynamo Laura Grace and Kate Moore as the ten-minute sin bin period came to an end.

A phenomenal strike from a difficult angle by Kirsty Crotty-Ryan brought Moyle Rovers level before the halftime whistle blew with the teams tied at 0-7 to 1-4.

Just as they did at the start of the match Fethard dominated the opening minutes of the second half. Substitute Meah Cuddidy added extra firepower to the Fethard attack and two points from her and another from Lucy Spillane to just a free from Kirsty Crotty-Ryan for Moyle Rovers had Fethard two points clear eleven minutes into the second half.

Fethard were threatening to pull away. Rovers were kept in the game thanks to a fantastic finger-tip save from keeper Rebecca Acheson- Dennehy and Rovers had a fortunate escape when Alison Connolly of Fethard crashed a ball off the crossbar.

After soaking up that pressure with heroic defending from Deirbhile Fitzgerald, Niamh Lonergan, Sarah Lutteral and Eavann Duffy, Rovers started to get a grip on the game.

Kirsty Crotty-Ryan reduced the deficit to a solitary score with a free nineteen minutes into the second half. With four minutes of normal time left Roisin McGrath came up with an awesome long-range effort to level the game to set up a dramatic climax to the absorbing contest.

An intelligent pass from midfield from  Emma Cronin found Kirsty Crotty-Ryan in a good position and she slotted over to give Moyle Rovers the lead for the first time in the game with three minutes left.

A flowing Moyle Rovers move saw Ava Collins and Ellie Franklin combine to set up Hazel Brennan who finished with style to edge Rovers two ahead in the last minute of normal time.

Six minutes of injury time was added but Moyle Rovers stood firm in the face of a fierce Fethard onslaught in a nerve-racking finish to emerge victorious on a very special day for all associated with the Moyle Rovers Ladies Gaelic Football club.

“This is the best feeling in the world,” said veteran campaigner Niamh Lonergan as she finally got her hands on the Joe McGrath Cup.

A distinguished club and county career saw her secure two All-Ireland medals with Tipperary but nothing, she said, matched this triumph.

“This is better than the lot because this is family and it means everything for me to win a county title with this group of girls and for this club,” said an elated Niamh Lonergan.

“We have had a lot of ups and downs over the years but this makes up for it all,” said Niamh (pictured above with her family)  who returned to play after having two ACL injuries and is a mother of two young children who were there to witness the special day.

Manager of the team, Liam Cronin said the victory was the culmination of so much hard work by so many dedicated people in the club over the last thirty years.

“This just did not happen today. This started a long, long time ago,” said Liam Cronin.

He praised the team for their resilience and determination to stay in the game and was proud of the character they showed to come out on top in a fantastic match.

Selector Declan Browne said the players had shown great desire to win the title for the club.

“They have been so unlucky so often over the years to miss out against some very good teams. This win was a long time coming and that is what makes it so special,” said Declan Browne.

Moyle Rovers

Rebecca Acheson- Dennehy, Niamh Lonergan, Deirbhile Fitzgerald, Michelle Cronin,Mia Cahalane, Sarah Luttrell, Ava Collins, Ellie Franklin, Emma Cronin, Hazel Brennan,Laura Grace,Roisin McGrath,Kate Moore, Eabha Dolan, Kirsty Crotty-Ryan.

Subs: Eavann Duffy for Mia Cahalane, Ava Wall for Eabha Dolan,Orla Burke for Deirbhile Fitzgerald, Aine Fitzgerald for Roisin McGrath.

Scorers: Kirsty Crotty Ryan 0-6(3f’s), Hazel Brennan 0-2, Laura Grace,Kate Moore,Emma Cronin and Roisin McGrath all  0-1 each.

Fethard

Sarah Smith, Sinead Delahunty, Carrie Davey, Aine Connolly, Emaleigh Cuddihy, Nell Spillane, Kate Burke, Lucy Spillane, Heather Spillane, Niamh Hayes, Emily Spillane, Megan Coen, Muireann O’Connell, Leah Coen, Anna Prendergast.

Subs: Meah Cuddihy for Muireann O’Connell, Nicole Delaney for Leah Coen,Alison Connolly for AnnaPrendergast.

Scorers: Lucy Spillane 1-1, Meah Cuddihy 0-2, Anna Prendergast 0-2, Muireann O’Connell and Niamh Hayes 0-1 each.