Lynam's Late Late show
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Molly Ryan of St Colmcille's NS on the ball, with Daisy Mulvaney, Clonmellon NS, moving in to challenge.Image 2 of 3
The Clonmellon NS girls football team, finalists in the Cumann na mBunscol Girls Football Div 2 competition.Image 3 of 3
Winning captains, Emma Finneran and Molly Ryan with the cup.A last minute point by substitute Hayden Lynam sealed victory for Gainstown NS, in the Division 2 girls football final at TEG Cusack Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The match appeared to heading for extra-time after Clonmellon's Melissa Clarke levelled the scores with a goal with just two minutes left on the clock, at the end of a highly entertaining contest between two evenly matched teams.
In a first half that contained lots of action, but relatively few scores, Clonmellon enjoyed the best of the first quarter and with ten minutes gone were two points up courtesy of a brace of scores from Player of the Match Mylah Carolan, who finished the game with four overs.
As the first period progressed Gainstown began to look the more assertive of the two teams. Katie Burke opened her side's account with a point; that was followed by further scores from Saoirse Gavin and Emma Finneran to leave the scoreboard reading at half-time: Gainstown NS 0-3, Clonmellon 0-2.
The second half began like the first with Clonmellon on the front foot and the team from the Meath border drew level with a point from Clarke, before a goal from substitute Katie Hendricks and another over from Carolan gave them a four-point lead.
Although there was the guts of 15 minutes left, in such a tight encounter it looked as if Clonmellon may have had enough breathing space to see out the match, but two Gainstown goals from top scorer Saoirse Gavin and Rihanna Maloney swung the tie back in the Mullingar team's favour.
Carolan's fourth and final score left the minimum between the teams, but points from Katie Burke and Gavin gave Gainstown a three point cushion as the game entered its final minutes.
With less than two minutes of regulation time left, Clarke levelled proceedings and extra-time loomed. However, much to the delight of her teammates and large crowd that was cheering them on, Lynam's match winning contribution ensured that Gainstown have another Cumann na mBunscol title to add to the school's roll of honour.
On the balance of play their victory was deserved, but both sides receive huge praise for their efforts over the course of an absorbing 40 minutes of football.
Scorers - Gainstown NS: Saoirse Gavin 1-2, Rihanna Maloney 1-0, Katie Burke 0-2, Emma Finneran 0-1, Hayden Lynam 0-1. Clonmellon NS: Mylah Carolan 0-4, Melissa Clarke 1-1, Katie Hendricks 1-0.
St Colmcille's NS, Gainstown: Amy Lucas, Aisling Dacaymat, Sophie Farrell, Molly Ryan, Chloe Duggan, Orla Nohilly, Emma Finneran, Isabelle McDonnell, Katie Burke, Saoirse Gavin, Rihanna Maloney, Chloe Cosgrave, Hayden Lynam, Muireann Caffrey, Emily Collentine, Claire Murtagh, Kayla Finneran, Ellen Sharry, Ava Sheahan, Isabelle Wright, Eireann MacNamee, Siún McDonnell, Rosie Smullen, Grace Fitzgerald, Mary Kate Gilbert, Neasa Kennedy, Anna Earley, Shauna Keating.
Clonmellon NS: Ellie Smith, Caoilfhinn Bray, Katie Rennicks, Ellen Bray, Maisie Reilly, Amy Beggan, Mylah Carolan, Daisy Mulvaney, Madison Henry, Melissa Clarke, Isabelle O’Keeffe, Ally Crichton, Aoibheann Craig, Kelsie O’Reilly, Teah Morrissey, Katie Hendricks, Kim Beggan, Louise Dunne Berrie, Louisa Scully, Lucy Mulvany. Shauna Brady, Teamhair Smith, Aoife Hand.
Referee: Antoinette Savage (Crookedwood).