Orlaith Roche’s two goals help Glanmire secure intermediate final success

All-Ireland Women’s Intermediate Club Championship Final: Glanmire (Cork) 5-8 Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins (Leitrim) 1-6

Full-forward Orlaith Roche struck a brace of impressive goals at Croke Park on Saturday as Glanmire claimed the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship with an emphatic triumph over Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins.

All-Ireland junior champions in 2018, Vincy Barry’s Cork outfit had eight different scorers over the course of the action as they convincingly secured their second national title of recent years. Róisín McHugh led the way for their opponents Ballinamore with a 0-5 haul, but while Aoibheann Flynn rattled the net, the Leitrim and Connacht champions came up short at the end of a memorable season.

Glanmire enjoyed the perfect start when attacker Michaela Dullea released full forward Roche for a smooth goal with just over 90 seconds gone in the contest.

Ballinamore responded with a point from McHugh, but Glanmire subsequently raised a second green flag on nine minutes when Evie Twomey fired clinically beyond the reach of opposition netminder Leighanne Flynn.

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While a routine Dullea free moved the Leesiders six points clear, Ballinamore came roaring into the contest when Aoibheann Flynn – the match-winner in their dramatic semi-final victory against Steelstown Brian Ógs – superbly hammered home a 13th-minute goal for the Leitrim and Connacht champions.

Yet this was only a minor speed bump for Glanmire, who went on to register unanswered points courtesy of Dullea, Cork senior star Abbie O’Mahony, Ava McCarthy and Ally McCarthy.

Although Ballinamore fired back with a second McHugh point, back-to-back efforts at the far end from Roche and Evie Twomey helped Glanmire to establish a commanding 2-7 to 1-2 interval lead.

Ballinamore were offered a reprieve early in the second half when Leighanne Flynn came to their rescue with an excellent stop from a penalty by Glanmire captain Ellen Twomey and McHugh then pointed her second free of the game to bring fresh life to their challenge.

Yet Glanmire continued to attack with a real purpose and superb individual goals by Roche and centre forward Niamh McAllen brought them into a seemingly unassailable 13-point cushion (4-7 to 1-3) on 42 minutes.

McHugh had a penalty saved by Glanmire’s Ava Carey as Ballinamore fought gallantly inside the final-quarter, but with substitute Riona Crowley finally converting a spot-kick on 58 minutes, the Cork women secured the second-tier crown in fine style.

GLANMIRE: A Carey; E Dillon, M Barry, K O’Connor; C O’Donovan, Ellen Twomey, A Fitzgerald; A O’Mahony (0-1), E Murphy; Ally McCarthy (0-1), N McAllen (1-0), Ava McCarthy (0-1); Evie Twomey (1-1), O Roche (2-1), M Dullea (0-3, two frees).

Subs: R Crowley (1-0) for Ava McCarthy, C Murphy for O’Donovan (both 42 mins); A O’Lehan for Dillon, A McAllen for Roche (both 47).

BALLINAMORE: L Flynn; D McGourty, A Sweeney, E Honeyman; L Maguire, M Murphy, G Prior; M McGovern, C O’Dowd (0-1); L O’Dowd, R McHugh (0-5, four frees), L Moran; A Flynn (1-0), S McLoughlin, L Murphy.

Subs: C McGoldrick for Maguire (26 mins); L Maguire for McGourty (40); E McKiernan for Murphy (54); A McGoldrick for Honeyman (58).

Referee: Siobhán Coyle (Donegal).

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