Brilliant Breaffy U-14 girls win Mayo shield final

Mayo LGFA U-14 A Shield Final 

Breaffy 5-11

Belmullet 2-7

In Bekan

A tour-de-force from centre-forward Sophie Moran earned Breaffy a deserved Mayo A shield title today at the expense of a hardy Belmullet team.

Breaffy had a number of outstanding performers, but none better than Sophie Moran, who shot 3-7 in a top-class performance for the West Mayo side. 

Moran got the first of her hat-trick in the third minute, with another goal from full-forward Betty Gibbons helping them to a 2-4 to 0-0 lead inside the opening 13 minutes. 

Clodagh Tunney and Lily Hurst also had massive games around the middle, with Hurst and Moran both finding the net before half-time. 

A brilliant goal from Belmullet's Charlie Padden came in the 22nd minute, but Hurst's late first-half goal saw Breaffy lead by a commanding 4-8 to 1-3 at the break. 

Sophie Moran rattled a third goal into the roof of the net just four minutes into the second half, but Belmullet were much more competitive thereafter. 

Goalkeeper Ella Geoghegan made three great stops - including one from a penalty - in the second half, one in which Lucy Padden got Belmullet's second goal after 47 minutes. 

Breaffy were so good on the day that their margin of victory came as little surprise but was still thoroughly deserved. 

Their captain, Roisha Hopkins, accepted the Mayo U-14 A shield after the game. 

A full report will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News.