ACTION WOMAN Burrishoole's Rachel Baynes is pictured in action against Hollymount. Pic: John Corless
Connacht LGFA Senior Club Championship
Semi-Final
Burrishoole 0-14
Glencar Manorhamilton 2-5
Michael Gallagher
Newport
MCGOVERN PARK in Newport erupted joyously on Monday afternoon when the home side wrote another chapter in the exciting story of their groundbreaking senior championship campaign. A hard-fought victory over Leitrim champions Glencar Manorhamilton sent the women in white and green into their first provincial final and sent the home sides wild.
“We knew how tough it was going to be,” team manager Colm McManamon told The Mayo News afterwards.
"We knew how good the Leitrim girls were. We knew we’d have to fight a battle to win it and that’s exactly what happened. We watched them playing against the Sligo champions and it was obvious they had really good forwards, so we were wary of that,” the former Mayo star stated.
The home side were much the better team in the first half but left a number of goal chances behind them. This meant they only took a slender 0-7 to 0-5 lead to the interval.
Both sides had goal chances early in the second half. Rachel Baynes saw her shot brilliantly saved by visiting goalkeeper McNulty before the guests swept downfield for impressive full-forward Leah Fox to send a scorcher into the roof of the net.
That put the Leitrim women in front for the first time and Burrishoole were being tested to the limit.
They responded brilliantly and with Feena McManamon a constant threat up front the home side began to roll.
Maria Cannon hit some wonderful points to leave the hosts three points up with five minutes left and then the gauntlet was thrown down. Muireann Devaney buried the spot kick and the scores were level.
That’s when the noise levels reached new heights and points from Cannon, her captain Sarah Baynes and Cannon again won the day for the Burrishoole women.
BURRISHOOLE
Caroline McManamon; A Doherty, Ciara McManamon, L Ryder; L Wallace (0-
1), Clodagh McMananon (0-1), A Sheridan; S Baynes (0-1), J Cawley; R Baynes (0-2), A Kelly, A McNulty; M Cannon (0-7, 5f), Clodagh McManamon, F McManamon (0-2)
Subs used: N Nevin for Sheridan, G McManamon for Kelly, A McDonnell for Doherty.
GLENCAR MANORHAMILTON
M McNulty; C Cullen, M A Maguire, L Devaney; A Ferguson (0-1), R Rooney, K Connolly; A Devaney, A Gilmartin; M Devaney (1-4, 1-0p, 0-4f), E Clancy, R Rooney; R Conlon, L Fox (1-0), G Tiffoney
Subs used: O Kelly for Ferguson, C Rooney for Tiffoney, E McGloin for R Rooney, M Clancy for Connolly.
Referee: S Curley (Galway)
