ZuCar All Ireland Minor ‘B’ Championship Final

Monaghan 7-16
Longford 2-19

By Deniese O’Flaherty

ULRIKA McMahon was the super-sub for Monaghan as she scored 2-2 in extra-time to help secure the ZuCar All-Ireland Minor B title with a stunning win over Longford.
For the second game in a row, Monaghan came from seven points down, with Eabha Sherry scoring the other goal during extra-time in Ashbourne.
Monaghan were four points up inside three minutes; Sarah Tierney scored a fine goal. Longford worked hard to get back into the game and were level in the ninth minute with Megan Glennon kicking over three points, with one from a free. Captain Caoimhe McCormack won a terrific ball and it led to them taking the lead for the first time through Kate Shannon in the tenth minute.
Tierney drew Monaghan level before Longford took control of proceedings. Shannon scored her second point to put four between the sides in the 28th minute and then Sián Gallagher fired a powerful shot to the net. Kerriane Walsh and Shannon exchanged points as Longford held a 1-10 to 1-03 advantage at the break.
Barely 25 seconds had elapsed when Tierney set up Áine McQuaid for Monaghan’s second goal. Down the other end Gallagher hit the crossbar with a powerful shot. She grabbed a second goal in the 39th minute when she hit a fantastic shot past Orna Kelly to restore her side’s seven-point lead.
Monaghan stuck with Longford and the gap was just two points with 13 minutes remaining when Tierney raced through and scored another goal. They were then reduced to 14 players in the 49th minute when Niamh Flanagan was sin-binned

THRILLER…The fans were entertained by a classic extra-time encouter

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Despite the numerical disadvantage, Monaghan levelled the game in the 58th minute when Walsh raced through and made no mistake scoring Monaghan’s fourth goal. One minute later Sherry hit over a free, to edge Monaghan ahead.
Just after Flanagan returned from the sin-bin, Tierney received a yellow card while Longford also lost Ella O’Reilly through a sin-bin. Both sides had chances near the end to win the game but it went to extra-time and Monaghan dominated on the resumption.

Monaghan: O Kelly; R Lennon, T Renaghan, T McArdle; A Carolan, L Connolly, H Haughey; K Walsh (1-1), L McGeown; H McQuaid (0-3, 1f), N Flanagan (0-1), S Tierney (2-1); S Murphy (0-1), E Sherry (0-14, 1f), Á McQuaid (0-2)
Subs: L Grimes (1-1) for L Connolly (45), M Byrne for H Haughey (47), U McMahon (2-2) for S Tierney (61), B McPhillips for L McGeown (74), G Hanratty for Á McQuaid (78)

Longford: L Tierney; L Shannon, G Kenny, R Fallon; F Talabi, C McCormack, E Duggan; E O’Reilly (0-1), S Gallagher (2-1); M Glennon (0-5, 2f), K McEntire, S Macken (0-1); K Shannon (0-8, 4f), E Lynn, A Hayden (0-1)

Subs: K O’Connor for R Fallon (19), S Egan (0-1) for S Macken (38), M Shannon (0-1) for E Lynn (48), T Tiernan for A Hayden, R Fallon for E O’Reilly (61), T Cosgrove for F Talabi (67), E O’Reilly for K O’Connor (68), C Heaney for B Kenny (81)

Referee: Lorraine O’Sullivan (Dublin).