Galway won the All-Ireland U14 Platinum Championship title after a pulsating game in Kinnegad after extra-time writes Deniese O’Flaherty.
The sides were level after the first-period of extra-time but a late goal from Ruby Maguire sealed victory for Galway.
Cavan’s Emma Galligan registered the game’s opening score with a third minute free. The sides were level twice in the opening nine minutes.
Galway took the lead in the 10th minute through Orna Dunne. Three minutes later Cavan were back in front. Doireann Brady’s effort came off the post and Grace Sherlock palmed it to the net.
Dunne and Galligan (free) traded points before Galway scored a goal. Niamh Ní Ghionnáin went on a run and fired a shot to the back of the net.
Brady drew Cavan level with a neat point in the 25th minute. Just before half-time Chloe Flynn fired over a free to giving Galway a 1-5 to 1-4 half-time lead.
Aoife Rogers pulled Cavan level a minute after the restored. However, Galway landed 1-5 without reply, opening up a seven point lead in the 15 mintues from time.
Dramatic Cavan finish
Cavan never gave in and a converted penalty from Sarah Crowe in the 55th minute cut the gap to four points.
Hannah Sherlock (Cavan) and Allanah Hughes (Galway) were sin-binned in the closing minutes. However, the drama didn’t end there. Two frees from Clodagh Kelly and another goal from Crowe had Cavan ahead on 60 minutes.
Katie Brogan the Galway saviour converting a free to bring the game to extra-time.
The sides were level at half-time in extra-time. However, in the end Maguire’s goal proved all the difference at the end of a pulsating match.
Galway: A Mitchell; A Hartigan, C O’Neill, A Glynn; R Conroy, A Hughes, A Kelly; N Ní Ghionnáin, K Brogan; L Murray, K Donnelly Meehan, R Maguire; O Dunne, C Flynn, N Garvey.
Subs used: E Fallon, N Miskell, K Greensmyth, G Coyle, K Maloney, Harty O’Brien, K McNulty.
Scorers: O Dunne 0-7 (2fs), N Ní Ghionnáin, R Maguire, E Harty O’Brien 1-1 each, K Maloney 1-0, K Brogan 0-3 (3fs), C Flynn (f) K Greensmyth 0-1 each.
Cavan: K Lavelle; E Cusack, D McSeain, A Maguire; A McHugo, E O’Sullivan, L Crossan; A Rogers, S Brennan; E O’Reilly, D Brady, E McPhillips; E Galligan, C Kelly, G Sherlock.
Subs used: K Curran Doughty, S Crowe, J Morgan, SJ Sherlock, C O’Reilly, M Gilsenan.
Scorers: S Crowe 3-1 (2-0pen), G Sherlock 1-0, D Brady 0-3, C Kelly (3fs) 0-3 each, E Galligan (0-2fs), A Rogers, E Phillips 0-1 each.
Referee: Aaron Clogher (Roscommon).
