National silverware lies within Mayo’s grasp
The Mayo Under 13 Girls are the latest girls’ team from the county looking forward to a National Final when they make the long trek to Tipperary this Saturday. TSSDL (South Tipperary League) provide the opposition in the Inter-League shield final. The match will be played at Cahir Park AFC with a 7 p.m. kick-off.
This squad of girls was assembled in early March under the same Management as the Gaynor Cup Under 14 Girls. Training has gone really well and while victories have been hard to register the girls have nonetheless proved very difficult to beat.
In a group with Clare, Donegal and Sligo-Leitrim the Mayo girls drew all three games the highlight being recovering from 2-0 down away to Group Winners Sligo-Leitrim to lead 3-2 before being pegged back to 3-3.
The three group draws meant plenty of practice at "stand-by" penalties which stood the girls in good stead when their Shield semi-final v Kilkenny was scoreless after extra-time with Mayo winning 4-3 in sudden death penalties.
A fantastic total of 18 clubs across the county sent in players for the Trials and the final 22 girl squad represents 14 Clubs again underlining the superb work being done across the board by Clubs.
The girls had their final training session last Saturday morning when the Gaynor Cup Squad played them in a superb game of football.
The Mayo Under 13 squad: Lola Tiernan (Ballinrobe Town); Edel Keane (Ballyglass FC); Alison McDonald (Castlebar Celtic); Grace Carroll (Castlebar Celtic); Riona Moyihan (Castlebar Celtic); Chloe Fahy (Castlebar Town); Niamh Curran (Castlebar Town); Michalina Cichopek (Castlebar Town); Siofra McGuinness (Charlestown Athletic); Zainab Naeem (Claremorris AFC); Clodagh Breslin (Conn Rangers); Ciara Kearney (Killala FC); Ella McLoughlin (Killala FC); Amy Doherty (Kilmurry AFC); Niah Barrett (Kilmurry AFC); Sarah Gallagher (Kilmurry AFC); Rachel Clarke (Kiltimagh Knock United); Amber Glavey (Manulla FC); Sophie O Donnell (Manulla FC); Maeve Folan (Partry United); Hayley Moran (Swinford AFC); Aoibhinn McNamara (Westport United.
UNDER 12
The Mayo Under 12s also have to make the trek to the same venue 24 hours later to face Wexford in the Bowl final at 1 p.m.
John Hennelly manages this side assisted by coaches Edel Walsh and Aisling Reilly. This young side finished second in their Group behind a strong Galway outfit and were most impressive in their 6-3 victory over North Tipperary in the Shield Semi-Final.
The Mayo Under 12 squad: Katie Flynn Ballyvary Blue Bombers); Tara Fitzpatrick (Ballinrobe Town); Juliette Rawson (Castlebar Celtic); Leah Kilcullen (Castlebar Town); Martha McDonald (Castlebar Town); Caoimhe Kitching (Claremorris AFC); Lucy McDermott (Claremorris AFC); Faye Walsh (Claremorris AFC); Bonnie Walsh (Claremorris AFC); Emma Holmes (Conn Rangers); Kayla Helly (Conn Rangers); Emily Coleman (Conn Rangers); Caoimhe O Donnell (Killala); Ava Mitchell (Kiltimagh Knock United); Ally Cunningham (Manulla FC); Dee McDonald (Manulla FC); Grace Mulroy (Manulla FC); Beth Hennelly (Manulla FC); Ellen Rose Lavelle (Snugboro FC); Jody Lavelle (Snugboro FC); Beth Murrihy (Snugboro FC); Ria Foy (Swinford FC); Anna Burton (Westport United); Aoibhinn McGreal (Westport United).