Champions again! Geraldines Ladies achieve two in a row following an emphatic win over St. Brides.

Geraldines 6-14 vs. St. Brides 0-05

The Geradlines Ladies won back to back Championship titles thanks to a brilliant win over St. Brides in Stabannon. In what was an excellent display its hard to pick out a shining star in the side, to a player every single of them performed excellently to ensure that they got the win that sets them up perfectly ahead of a Leinster Championship game next week. They are a credit to the club and the community for all their efforts in what has been a difficult and disjointed season.

Captain Lauren McFaul set the tone with a well-taken point in the first minute to settle any nerves and with the crosswind in the favour of the Geraldines, they kept pushing forward and got their just rewards in the fourth minute as Ciara O’Connor broke free from her marker to slot the ball into the back of the net to score a goal after just four minutes. Louise Corcoran got her first score of the game and Lauren McFaul added a second point however Ciara O’Connor looked to have added her second goal of the game only for the crossbar to deny her. Player of the match Abbi O’Connor got the Gers second goal of the game before a brace of points from Rebecca Carr and Louise Corcoran to extend the lead further. The Geraldines third goal of the half came courtesy of Emma Gartlan before Rebecca Carr scored another excellent point from distance. Victoria Fee opened her scoring account just on the stroke of half time with a well-taken point to give the Gers a comfortable 3-07 to 0-03 lead.

Louise Corcoran scored an excellent goal from a tight angle to open the Gers scoring in the second half with emphatic fashion and followed up with another point along with well-taken effort point from Rebecca Carr. Ciara O’Connor, a brace of Rebecca Carr points along with Lauren McFaul added further scores despite the strong crosswind shows the strength and depth in this squad scoring abilities. The last two scores were the icing on the championship cake with two quickfire goals from Ava Kieran.

The scoreline didn’t reflect the effort that St. Brides put into the final and are to be commended for their best efforts and hard work in what was a competitive match.

The scenes of celebration at the full-time whistle and at the trophy presentation are a reflection of the hard work and dedication that this side has put in this season. It’s one thing to win a championship but to retain the title takes a different type of mental strength and this side has it in abundance. Every player from one to twenty-eight have all played a vital part in this success.

Abbi O’Connor for her excellent performance in the forward line was rewarded with a player of the match.

The Geraldines Ladies team once again have proved that they are the best in the county and have done so in excellent fashion playing an attractive brand of football. The spirit and camaraderie amongst the players are as strong as ever and will continue. While the performance on the pitch was brilliant it's only matched by the efforts made those behind the scenes. Manager Paula Lavin is to commended for leading the side and not letting the standards drop. Jim McEneaney has been a welcome addition to the side this season with his wealth of experience. Sadie McDermott and Rosarie O’Donoghue who has been in the background at training and on match day. Pat Carr for his advice and guidance on the sidelines and Paula Hand who has club secretary ensures the smooth administration of the team. Brian Cafferty as our Chairman has been extremely supportive of the side and the team in all their efforts this year.

In reality, it was a real team effort from top to bottom. Well done to our ladies side - champions again.

Na Geraldines Abu!

Geraldines: Grainne Boyle, Megan Scully (Helen McEneaney 46 Mins), Eilis Hand, Holly Lambe-Sally, Amy Dalton (Sharon O’Connor 57 Mins), Gemma McCrave, Aine Lynch, Rebecca Carr, Lauren McFaul, Lisa McCabe, Abbi O’Connor, Emma Gartlan, Victoria Fee (Sandra Neary 38 Mins), Ciara O’Connor, Louise Corcoran (Ava Kieran 46 Mins).

Scorers: Rebecca Carr (0-05), Lauren McFaul (0-3), Abbi O’Connor (1-0), Emma Gartlan (1-0), Victoria Fee (0-1), Ciara O’Connor (1-2), Louise Corcoran (1-3), Ava Kieran (2-0)