ST GABRIELS LADIES HISTORY 2019

St Gabriels Minor B Ladies football team travelled to Glenamaddy on Sunday 17th November after the game being cancelled two weeks previous due to inclement weather and as a result of this we were without Leona Larkin who had surgery last week and we wish her a speedy recovery. It was a very entertaining game.

Glenamaddy/Williamstown got the first two scores on the board and Aisling Donnellan got the first score for St Gabriels of the day scoring a free. Rosa Bleahene added to our tally with a great point. Laura Kenny scored a great goal and Ellen Bleahene scored a goal from a penalty we were awarded to further add to our points tally. Despite all of our scoring Glenamaddy/Williamstown were the better team in the first half and were two points up at the interval. Aoife Keighery the St Gabriels goalie had so far had a great game and made some vital saves as the half had progressed. Our backs Leah Manning, Rachael Larkin, Caitlin Cunningham and Katie Malone worked hard throughout the game and came under increasing pressure for most of the game. 

Half time score; St Gabriels 2g 2pts, Glenamaddy/Williamstown 2g 4pts.

In the second half St Gabriels struggled to convert scores or get any kind of momentum going as Glenamaddy/Williamstown added to their tally and went 6 points ahead to take a deserved lead. St Gabriels rallied and started to find their rythm as Aisling Donnellan scored another free and Pearl Finnerty found the back of the net with a great goal, with a commanding Ellen Bleahene scoring another great goal with another penalty awarded to Gabriels they went ahead only for Glenamaddy/Williamstown to level the game at full time as both sides had extra time to look forward to.

The final score was St Gabriels 4g 5pts Glenamaddy/Williamstown 3g 8pts. 

Extra time followed with both sides looking to take control of the game with both sets of management teams giving their respective team talks to gee up their sides for one final push. With this in mind St Gabriels ladies went a morale boosting three points ahead to no score in the first half of extra time as St Gabriels settled into the game once again with St Gabriels ladies upping their performance and upped their performance they certainly did as they had a great finish in the second half of extra time with two great goals from Caitlin Malone and a long range ball to the back of the net from Melissa McDonnell and this was followed with a great point by Sophie Cunningham to end the game as a contest and win the cup for Gabriels.

Final score St Gabriels 7g & 9pts to Glenamaddy/Williamstown 3g & 9pts.

Our substitutes made a big impact on the day and in the game with the introduction of Melissa McDonnell and Aoife Quinn, Elanna Malone, Aisling Dolan, Latisha Thompson, Caoimhe Donoghue and Amy Kelly also contributing to the game. Aisling Dillion, Laura Kenny, Jasmine Scully and Rachael Larkin also had fantastic games and worked tirelessly thoroughout the match never relenting in their efforts or application on the pitch. Well done to the Management; Manager: Declan Malone, Mentors: Della Finnerty and Damien Finn. Thanks to them for their time given voluntary with this team. It is appreciated.

Scoring for St Gabriels: Pearl Finnerty, 1g 1pt, Caitlin Malone 2g, Ellen Bleahene 2g, Melissa McDonnell 1g, Sophie Cunningham 1pt, Laura Kenny 1g, Rosa Bleahene 1pt, Aisling Donnellan 6pts. 

Thanks to Glenamaddy/Williamstown for a very sporting game. Aisling Donnellan (captain) accepted the cup on behalf of St Gabriels Minor Ladies team. Thanks to everyone who lit fires and came out and cheered the girls en route from New Inn to Kilconnell and Aughrim village. It is greatly appreciated. 

The Minor girls will be presented with their championship medals on 29th of November in Valeries the same night as our Glitz and Glam night with D.J. Leslie Shea on the night.​

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Saint Gabriels Junior A ladies football team played Claregalway B team in their championship semi-final on Sunday last in Monivea pitch at 6 p.m. St Gabriels ladies started well with great points scored by Aisling Donnellan and Niamh Daly. St Gabriels Ladies lead 6pts to 3pts in the early part of the first half, with further points from Aisling Donnellan, Antoinette Cormican and Emma Reynolds.

Claregalway upped their game after the restart with the the half time score being St Gabriels 8pts to Claregalway 1g & 6pts. A second half that saw some excellent football from both sides was a contentious affair with Claregalway being awarded three penalties during the game. With St Gabriels battling all the way it was St Gabriels Antoinette Cormican (captain) who scored a great goal bringing us to within three points of Claregalway but Claregalway pulled away and won the game. 

Talking points from the game apart from the penalties were some excellent saves made by Laura Hession our goalie and some committed performances from our younger players. Final score was St Gabriels 1g & 14pts to Claregalway 4g & 12pts. Scoring for St Gabriels Ladies were Emma Reynolds 1pt, Antoinette Cormican 1g 2pts, Niamh Daly 1pt, Pearl Finnerty 1pt, Rosa Bleahene 1pt, Aisling Donnellan 8pts. Well done St Gabriels Junior A ladies, good performance and it was the first championship loss in three years. 

Great progress has been made after being in Junior C for some years to Junior B two years ago and Junior A last year. An unusual feature of this side is that the team boasts SIX (6) sets of sisters, namely, Cormicans, Bleahenes, Lohans, Donnellans, Larkins & the Finnertys. Thanks to all our dual players who have shown great commitment all year and best of luck in your Intermediate and Senior Camogie games in September. 

Credit to Manager: Gerard Donnellan, Mentors: Della Finnerty, Martin Costello, Damien Finn and Gary Lohan who have given there all to improve this team since they helped out three years ago. Best wishes goes to our star player all year who got injured a few weeks ago Grace Finnerty. We wish her a speedy recovery. Her absence was felt on Sunday last. Best of luck also to Catriona Cormican and Becky Gilchreest and Grace Finnerty who play their All-Ireland Finals in Camogie this weekend. Catriona and Becky could not participate in our semi-final last week. Best wishes to Gerard Donnellan, Martin Costello and Damien Finn who play their Intermediate football championship game this weekend St Gabriels v Clifden. 

​A BIG Thank you to Declan Malone our Chairman and physio for all his help with Junior A ladies team during the year both on and off the field. A massive thanks to Chris Jarvis who kept pitch in great order in Aughrim for the club a year. It is appreciated by the Junior Ladies and Management. 

Claregalway play Grainne Mhaols in the Junior A final. Best of luck to both teams.