MAGNIFICENT SEVEN FROM ARMAGH GIRLS
ARMAGH 7-18 GALWAY 1-12
Richard Bullick at Pearse Park
Player of the Match Lily McBennett led the way with 2-7 while inspirational skipper Cassie Henderson and vice-captain Aoife Hagan also served up superb performances as Armagh retained their All Ireland Under 16 B title by crushing Galway in emphatic fashion.
Henderson bagged a brace and her Clann Eireann clubmate Abigail McMahon also netted twice, with the seventh Armagh goal in last Wednesday night’s comprehensive victory at Pearse Park coming from Carrickcruppen’s Charlotte Havern.
Crossmaglen’s Jessica McCreesh had chipped in with two first half points as Armagh raced to an incredibly commanding 4-11 to 1-4 interval lead, Cara O’Hanlon came off the bench to raise two white flags and lively centre half back Hagan also got on the scoresheet.
Although the Orchard dominance meant the contest effectively ended early, it was nevertheless a very enjoyable game on a balmy evening in Longford and, to their credit, the Galway girls kept going and kicked some fantastic scores.
The thoughtful Henderson spoke of her opponents afterwards with warmth and respect, while also giving special mention to Armagh goalkeeper Lily O’Neill’s superb penalty save and the commanding display of full back Blaithin Carragher.
It was a typically imperious performance from the Orchard captain herself, combining great tactical awareness and vision with some sublime kick-passes, clinical shooting and a level of physicality which Galway understandably struggled with.
Galway were confronted with the sight of boxing champion Henderson and towering midfielder Emma Hart – both of whom only turned 16 in May – in the middle for the throw-in and Armagh got the game’s opening point with just some 20 seconds gone.
That score came from Dromintee’s McBennett, who went on to accumulate a remarkable first half haul of 2-5 on a very special evening for the family as Lily’s dad Declan McBennett – best known as RTE’s Head of Sport – is the Armagh manager.
McBennett heads a formidable management team which also includes Stephen Havern – father of Charlotte and sub Connie – Derrynoose’s Barry McGurgan and Christina Crilly from Mullabrack, who have done a great job with this young group.
The Orchard outfit found themselves behind in the fifth minute thanks to the only Galway goal of the game after an earlier shot from Henderson had been saved, but a McBennett free found its way into the opposition net shortly afterwards and Armagh never looked back.
Great Armagh interplay orchestrated by Henderson led to the skipper’s first shot being saved very well by the Galway goalkeeper only for Cassie to tuck away the rebound brilliantly but with the nonchalance of a top-class player.
Armagh posted three points in a two-minute period, two from McCreesh sandwiching one by McBennett and the latter’s delightful left-footed finish made it 3-4 to 1-0 by the end of the first quarter after Henderson had powered past a defender but rolled her shot wide.
Galway got a point after a good block by Armagh but McBennett converted a free following an attack which had featured a wonderful 30-yard ball by Henderson off the outside of her boot and Havern pointed before a lovely goal by Lurgan girl McMahon.
The Galway goalkeeper tipped a shot from Henderson over the bar but the orange waves kept coming, with McBennett adding to her tally and Hagan pointing with aplomb having begun the move by winning a great turnover and driving forward with real purpose.
The remainder of the opening period featured three Galway scores, one from a free, to two from Armagh, another delicious left-footed effort from McBennett and a point by McMahon, who had been Henderson’s successor as Under 14 county captain.
Hart won the second half throw-in but, although Galway got the opening point with a huge strike, normal service resumed with a glorious finish from Henderson in the 35th minute for the fifth Armagh goal.
Their sixth followed almost immediately from the unmarked McMahon but Galway responded in spirited fashion with four five points in a five-minute purple patch punctuated by Henderson using her strength to hold off a challenge and chip over from out on the right.
Armagh got three of the game’s next four points in the middle of the half, through McBennett, Henderson and McMahon, before being buoyed further by O’Neill’s fantastic save of the opposition spot-kick on 49 minutes.
After a scoring lull, McBennett fisted another point after a great piece of high-fielding by Henderson on halfway, followed by a good finish from Havern in the 55th minute for Armagh’s seventh goal.
Clan na Gael’s Cara O’Hanlon helped herself to two tasty points after being introduced as one of Armagh’s five subs, though the celebrations afterwards were rightly enjoyed by the entire panel of 34 who have worked hard and done themselves proud.
No fewer than 10 different clubs were represented in the starting team, players from a further three featured on the evening and two others had an unused sub so there was a good geographical spread of talent.
A campaign which began with a defeat by Cavan at McKeever Park back in mid-February ended five months later with a second trophy triumph following the Ulster gold final victory over Antrim. The Armagh girls then beat Waterford 2-14 to 1-5 in the All Ireland B semi.
Armagh had won the All Ireland Under 16 B title last year for the first time, beating Waterford by six points in the decider at Kinnegad, with 1-5 from McBennett, Henderson netting and Hart picking up Player of the Match, but this fresh success is by a much-changed squad.
ARMAGH: Lily O’Neill (Tir na nOg); Caitlin Carnegie (Dromintee), Blaithin Carragher (Mullaghbawn), Olivia Reynolds (Clan na Gael); Niamh McKenna (Keady), Aoife Hagan (Pearse Og; 0-1), Annie McGeown (Middletown); Erin McCann (Middletown), Emma Hart (Pearse Og); Lily McBennett (Dromintee; 2-7, 1-1f), Cassie Henderson (Clann Eireann, capt; 2-3), Jessica McCreesh (Crossmaglen; 0-2); Brianna Magee (Clann Eireann), Charlotte Havern (Carrickcruppen; 1-1), Abigail McMahon (Clann Eireann; 2-2). Subs used: Emma Duffy (Killeavy) for McKenna (42mins), Kerrin Darby (Mullaghbawn) for McCreesh (45), Cara McGeary (Armagh Harps) for Magee (48), Cara O’Hanlon (Clan na Gael, 0-2) for McMahon (53), Aoife Mackle (Eire Og) for McCann (55). Unused subs: Connie Havern (Carrickcruppen), Molly McGurgan (Armagh Harps), Katie Taylor (Middletown), Zara Dolan (Clann Eireann), Emma Toale (Dromintee), Mary-Kate Johnson (Mullaghbawn), Eabha Loughran (Carrickcruppen), Siobhan Shields (Crossmaglen), Lily Rafferty (Carrickcruppen), Caila Connolly (Shane O’Neills), Lauren McAlinden (Wolfe Tones), Grace Conlon (Dromintee), Tara Crangle (Eire Og), Riley Little (Clan na Gael).
