Team News: Minor A & B Finals Set for Kinnegad!
Team News: Minor A & B Finals Set for Kinnegad!
May 05, 2019
Minor Championship Finals - Bank Holiday Monday 6th May in Kinnegad
It has been a bumper weekend of ladies football action but it’s not over yet as Leinster Minor Finals are set for action tomorrow in the excellent facilities of Coralstown Kinnegad.
Minor B Final: Longford v Westmeath, 1pm
An intriguing contest in this year’s Minor B Final as Longford and Westmeath go head to head. The sides met earlier in the round stages of the competition and Longford salvaged a draw, the teams finishing level at 3-07 apiece.
Both teams have made considerable progress since last year’s competition where Westmeath were A Shield victors defeating Offaly while Longford were crowned B Shield champions defeating Kilkenny.
Longford qualified for the B Final after a narrow 4-11 to 3-09 victory against Offaly while Westmeath booked their place in the final by defeating Laois by 5-11 to 4-06.
Added intrigue is that Longford Captain Muireann Claffey and Westmeath Clodagh Dillon not only go to the same school (All Ireland Junior B winners Moate Community School) but are also the best of friends off the pitch.
With such narrow margins of victory, support for both sides will be vital.
Longford: (v Westmeath) R McGrath, C Sutton, S Dawson, K McLoughlin, C Mulligan, O Nevin, M Claffey (C), K Shannon, G Shannon, H Glennon, C Healy, L McGuire, C Lohan, M Mulvihill, D Rooney.
Westmeath: (v Longford) S Byrne, A Kenny, E Kelly, C Dillon (C), A Sheerin, J Whelehan, N Mullarkey, S Murtagh, V Carr, A Shaw, J Hennessy, R Martin, C Faulkner, G Halligan, S Glennon.
Ref: Ciaran Groome
Minor A Final: Kildare v Meath, 3pm
A new name will be inscribed on the Minor A Championship cup as this year’s Final pairing sees Meath go head to head with neighbours Kildare. Meath are currently basking in a successful season having already annexed A titles at u14 and u16 grades while Saturday saw them win their first National League in 25 years.
A win on Monday will put the icing on the cake for the Royals who had three members of the Minor squad collecting medals on Saturday. Minor Captain Orlagh Lally and Dunboyne pair Sarah Wall and Emma Duggan will be eager to collect their second title of the bank holiday weekend.
Both sides defeated reigning champions Dublin in the round stages to halt the side from the Capital in their tracks. A 3-06 haul for Emma Duggan helped Meath to a 3-16 to 1-12 win over the Blues in the opening round back in February. Kildare faced Dublin in Round Two in March and defeated them by 3-15 to 1-09. Orlaith Sullivan top scored for the Lillies on that occasion hitting 0-07.
With both sides defeating Offaly, the finalists finally met in Round Three; an experimental round with both teams rotating their squads. The Lillies came out on top, winning 2-12 to 1-08.
Having won the Minor B All Ireland and Leinster U16 A Championship last season, Kildare have strength, depth and pace and Gavin Doyle’s charges will look forward to another battle with their neighbours.
For the Royals, a Minor A title has so far eluded them and with history already made this weekend, who’s to say lightning won’t strike the same place twice?
If you haven’t already made plans to travel to Kinnegad tomorrow, make them. You won’t be disappointed.
Kildare: C Farrell, L Murtagh, L Lenehan, E Birch, H McLoughlin, E Kehoe, E Carroll, SR Merrick, G Wheeler, M Dagg, S Murphy, H McCormack, M Aspell (C), O Sullivan, A Rattigan.
Meath: EJ White, S O’Kane, MK Lynch, O Smith, K McCarthy, S Wall, A Farrell, O Lally (C), P Reilly, O Gore, E Duggan, S Lynch, M Byrne, S O’Rourke, M Peters.
Ref: Stephen McNulty