Aoife Goggins scores 4-5 as Ballindine NS lift county title

by Patrick Hennelly

AOIFE Goggins was in impressive form for Ballindine National School today and her tally of 4-5 helped propel the border outfit to a coveted county title at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park with victory over Currabaggan National School by 5-13 to 3-6.

This Division Two Girls Football decider was the opening game of Tuesday’s Mayo Cumann na mBunscol finals and it proved to be a high scoring and entertaining encounter.

Currabaggan netted the opening goal of the joust after just three minutes, courtesy of Saoirse Herbert, and when her team-mate Elaina Ferguson guided over a sky-scraper of a free-kick on seven minutes, the Knockmore outfit led 1-2 to 0-3.

Another goal from Herbert helped shunt the yellow and blue into a 2-2 to 0-4 lead, but Ballindine ended the half with a flurry of scores.

Points from Ballindine’s Saoirse McDonagh (2), Aoife Goggins (free), Neala Devane and a cracking goal by the aforementioned Goggins, helped garner a 1-8 to 2-3 half-time advantage for the south Mayo girls.

The red and black made a whirlwind start to the new half and plundered three goals from Goggins (2) and Sadhbh McDonagh, which upset the Currabaggan applecart.

Goggins’ fourth three-pointer of the afternoon on 23 minutes, mustered an unassailable 5-13 to 2-3 lead for Ballindine.

To their credit, Currabaggan kept plugging away and their hard-working display was rewarded when Herbert registered her hat-trick of goals towards the end of the game.