St Sylvester’s crowned All Ireland champions after thrilling win over Castlebar Mitchels

(Pictured above: Sinéad Aherne of St Sylvester’s in action against Aoife Brody of Castlebar Mitchels during the 2021 currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Club Football Championship Final at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe, Galway. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile)

St Sylvester’s 1-6

Castlebar Mitchels 0-7

By DARREN KELLY

Dublin captain Sinéad Aherne scored 0-4 and St Sylvester’s were crowned currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Intermediate club champions yesterday following a thrilling win over Castlebar Mitchels at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.

Kate Sullivan’s goal in the first attack ultimately proved the difference between the teams but the Leinster champions still needed two late points from Aherne and Niamh Harney to seal the win.

St Sylvester’s began in scintillating fashion with their goal after just 10 seconds. Sullivan took her place at midfield for the throw-in, won possession and raced at the heart of the Castlebar defence before she struck low past Fiona McLoughlin.

And with a strong wind at their backs they added a point 60 seconds later.  Aherne gave the pass to Nicole Owens to slot over.

But Anthony Cooke’s team didn’t score again from play in the first half with two further frees courtesy of Aherne giving them a 1-3 to 0-3 half-time lead.

Castlebar Mitchels were struggling to settle as they tried to gain a foothold but eventually got off the mark on 22 minutes. Danielle Caldwell pushed forward and she found Grainne Flynn to her right, who scored.

Castlebar were in the ascendency now and St Sylvester’s and finished the half strongly with two more scores to leave just three between them at the break.  Flynn was involved in both, setting up Kathryn Sullivan on 29 minutes before converting a free herself to leave them just three behind at the interval.

Anna Tuohy picked out Laura Brody for a Castlebar score two minutes after the restart but St Sylvester’s hit back with a well-worked move as Louise Ryan and Sophie McGlynn combined to allow Aherne her first from play.

However, Mitchels pitched up again as Niamh Hughes started to make an impact. She converted a free won by Orla Conlon on 37 minutes before immediately adding a point from play.

Scores were at a premium as defences reigned supreme and the Mayo side struggled to find a way past a St Sylvester’s defence led by Dannielle Lawless, Lisa Murphy, Kim White and Cliona Fitzpatrick.

Flynn’s free on 50 minutes levelled it for the first time but Castlebar wouldn’t score again. Aherne won a free and scored to put St Sylvester’s back ahead.

And then Owens and Katie O’Sullivan combined to allow Harney give them a two-point cushion, which was enough to secure victory.

St Sylvester’s manager Anthony Cooke praised the heroics of Dublin star Kate Sullivan after her early goal paved the way for a first ever currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Intermediate title for the club.

Sullivan broke from midfield to finish the crucial score after just ten seconds, and despite a battling display in the second half from Castlebar Mitchels, it was St Sylvester’s who were crowned champions at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.

“Kate’s been brilliant all season,” said Cooke.

“Hopefully, we’ll see a lot of her in the Dublin jersey this season, she’s been in and out of the team the last few years, since she’s come back into the club this year she’s just been phenomenal.

“Her pace is something else but she has that finishing quality as well. To be honest, it wasn’t something we’d worked on but Kate obviously won that throw.”

St Sylvester’s were brilliant right from the off, and Sullivan finished low to Fiona McLoughlin’s bottom right corner.

A couple of Dublin teammates, Nicole Owens and Sinéad Aherne piled on the pressure, and St Sylvester’s were 1-2 to 0-0 in front at the water break.

But Grainne Flynn (two) and Kathryn Sullivan fired back and just the goal separated the sides at the half-time interval where St Sylvester’s were 1-3 to 0-3 ahead.

Both of these teams were featuring in their first All-Ireland final and Calstebar were looking to become the first Mayo team to ever win this crown, it was the team from the west that began the second half better.

Laura Brody scored in the 32nd minute but Dublin captain Aherne settled her side again and they were 1-4 to 0-6 ahead at the last water break.

Grainne Flynn did draw the sides level with nine minutes of normal time remaining but Aherne and Niamh Harney sealed the win for St Sylvester’s.

“I’m extremely proud of our effort,” said Castlebar Mitchels manager Fintan Keane.

“I felt we had it there when we drew level seven each after being four points down at one stage from that start which we knew they’d do. When you lose that narrow it’s heartbreaking.

“We were playing the All-Ireland champions today.”

Scorers – St Sylvester’s: S Aherne 0-4 (3f), K Sullivan 1-0, N Owens 0-1, N Harney 0-1.

Castlebar Mitchels: G Flynn 0-3 (2f), N Hughes 0-2 (1f), K Sullivan 0-1, L Brody 0-1.

ST SYLVESTER’S: S Brennan; C Fitzpatrick, K White, L Harrold; L Murphy, D Lawless, E Lynch; N Owens, G Twomey; K Sullivan, E Sullivan, N Harney; L Ryan, S Aherne, S McGlynn.

Subs: K O’Sullivan for Lynch (30), G McGinty for E Sullivan (38), K Slattery for McGlynn (45).

CASTLEBAR MITCHELS: F McLoughlin; K Moore, A Brody, A Towey; T Flynn, O Conlon, D Caldwell; L McManamon, K Sullivan; G Flynn, E Lyons, S Conlon; N Hughes, L Brody, A Tuohy.

Subs: S Prendergast for S Conlon (45), M McDonald or Lyons (51).

Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).