Magical Charlestown do the double double

MAYO LGFA U14A FINAL

Charlestown 2-10

Westport 0-9

Connacht Centre of Excellence

A tremendous second half performance powered Charlestown to history in Bekan today when the girls in green did the double-double. The seven-point win secured the league and championship titles for the second year in succession and the celebrations which greeted the final whistle were worthy of the occasion.

The winners hit the front in the third minutea when Shauna O'Grady goaled after fine play from centre-half-forward Mikayla McLoughlin who would go on to be the dominant figure for the rest of the afternoon.

Westport were packed with fine players all over the pitch and were level at half time, 0-7 to 1-4, but the girls in blue never really found their rhythm. Ruby Brennan, Kazu Sangare, Saoirse Reynolds and Kate Maloney got on the scoreboard for the Clew Bay side and Sangara had a goal chance after 20 minutes but Leah McDonagh saved brilliantly to keep Charlestown in front.

Westport took the lead immediately after the resumption when Brennan pointed but Charlestown then took charge. McLoughlin, Kayleigh Casey, Seraya Murphy, Roisin Gately, Emily Higgins and the rest of the girls in green were outstanding and when they hit the front again after 35 minutes they never relinquished the lead.

A goal from McLoughlin after 44 minutes left them five clear, 2-8 to 0-9, and Westport urgently needed a response. They needed pace to trouble the Charlestown back line and both Rheanna Hoban and Roisin Malone looked lively, but they were thwarted time after time by fantastic Charlestown tackling and swarming around the player in possession.

That allowed the girls in green to break out with Casey, Higgins, Phoebe Tiernan and McLoughlin to the fore. They clipped over the scores which kept Westport at bay and as the final minutes ticked away it was obvious that the girls in the famous green jerseys were going to be champions and achieve the league and championship double for the second year in sucession.

It should also be noted that the match was very well refereed by the man in the middle, John Brennan, who applied the rules in a consistent, fair and common-sense manner.

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