Knockmore ladies beat Burrishoole to retain Division 1 title

Mayo Senior League Division 1 Cup Final 

Knockmore 2-13

Burrishoole 1-6

In Bekan 

Knockmore won the Division 1 league title in a wet and windy Bekan with far greater ease than they did last year. 

Where last year's decider against Westport went to extra-time in a later-summer heatwave, Knockmore's latest win came in wet, windy, and inhospitable conditions. 

Lara Sweeney stole the show with 1-7 from frees and from play on a day when Burrishoole worked and battled unrelentingly but were short of scoring power. 

Cormac Reape's girls set the tone in the first quarter and were 0-6 0-1 up by the 24th minute. 

Burrishoole showed well through the likes of defender Clodagh McManamon, Maria Cannon and Leona Ryder, but depended on Cannon for five of their seven scores. 

The gap was 0-10 0-4 at half-time and grew wider when Sweeney sent home a goal in the 42nd minute. 

Good work from Katie Munnelly and Sarah Mulvihill at midfield prevented a Burrishoole fightback, which appeared to be on when Maria Cannon drove a free straight into the net to make it a six-point game.

The barony girls' faint hopes were dashed when Shauna Howley stuck the ball home just before the 60-minute mark.

The second half lasted for 41 minutes and ended when Maria Cannon's penalty was saved by the acrobatics of Anne Murphy, who was embraced by her teammates the second the final whistle reaffirmed Knockmore's status as Division 1 county champions. 

A full report, plus reaction from Shauna Howley and Sarah Mulvihill, will be included in Tuesday's Mayo News Sport.