Westport ladies make history by winning first-ever senior county title

MAYO LGFA SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Westport 2-5 Knockmore 2-4

In MacHale Park 

THE Westport ladies football team made history by winning their first-ever senior county title by beating two-time senior champions Knockmore, who fought right to the bitter end. 

The victors seemed safe in injury time after a solid performance embellished by two brilliant goals from player-of-the-match Fionnuala McLaughlin. 

Then, with 62 minutes gone, Knockmore sent a ‘Hail Mary’ ball into the square which was knocked down into the net by corner-forward Clodagh Keane to make it a one-point game. 

The saffron and blue probed and prodded the blue wall around the scoring zone until Sarah Mulvihill won a kickable but far-from-simple free. 

Having been subbed off two minutes previously, Lara Sweeney re-emerged with one job only - to send the game to extra time. 

Sweeney’s shot had the power but lacked the accuracy and Westport were leaping for joy moments later. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Mayo News (@themayonews)

Westport were the better team overall, but certainly in the first half when they held a star-studded Knockmore to just two points.

There was little between the sides initially, but Westport found the extra gear in the second quarter and found the net in the 17th minute through Fionnuala McLaughlin, who was superb for the west Mayo girls. 

Trailing 0-2 1-4 at the break, Grace Naughton lobbed Róisín Scott to put Knockmore back within two points in the 45th minute. 

Mayo star Fionnuala McLaughlin replied by smashing the ball into the net after an amazing solo run to put the girls in blue five points up heading down the home straight. 

Knockmore got them back to a point, but six nerve-shattering minutes of added time weren’t enough to stop the champions from falling to the first team ever to lift the Jimmy Corbett Perpetual Cup. 

A full report, plus reaction from Pop Geraghty, Janette O’Malley, Noirín Moran and Saoirse Lally will be carried in Tuesday’s Mayo News. 

_{The Westport ladies team that won the 2024 Mayo LGFA Senior Football Championship (Pic: Conor McKeown)}