Kinawley 3-09 Belcoo 1-07

Kinawley, despite playing without a host of county players in the Gold final of the Club Players' League, had too much for Belcoo in wet conditions last Friday evening. 

They still had a strong mixture of youth and experience and they dominated the majority of the game with Belcoo only managing one point from play throughout the 60 minutes.

The early moments of the game ebbed and flowed from one end of the pitch to the other before the impressive Gemma McCaffrey lobbed over a free after four minutes.

The Borus were dominating possession but Belcoo were defending stoutly with Kelly Connolly and Crona Higgins impressing.

On nine minutes Kinawley turned Belcoo over as the O'Rahilly's were trying to break and Laura Doonan was put through and she fired to the net 1-01 to no score.

Belcoo did respond with their first point when Eimear Higgins pointed a free after a foul on Sinead Barrett.

And it was the same process for their next score as Higgins converted another free following another foul on Barrett.

McCaffrey added another free with 20 minutes played and the same player hit Kinawley's second goal as she blasted to the net, 2-02 to 0-02. 

From the kickout, Kinawley won possession and McCaffrey hit her first point from play.

With the half waning another Belcoo attack saw Barret fouled and from the free this time, Higgins' attempt dropped below the bar and into the Kinawley net to cut the lead to four points.

But Kinawley had the last say of the game as McCaffrey fired over leaving it 2-04 to 1-02 at the break.

Belcoo came back with another Higgins pointed free but they were unlucky not to find the net as the ball came back off the crossbar.

The game was more or less settled a minute later when Keelan Murphy's shot dropped short but found its way into the back of the net and it was followed by a Léan Doonan point to make it 3-05 to 1-03 with 35 minutes played.

Two Higgins frees either side of good scores from McCaffrey and Aine McGovern for Kinawley would be Belcoo's response as the skies darkened over Derrygonnelly.

With four minutes to play, Belcoo got their only point from play when substitute Mikayla Maguire got on the end of a good move to point and this was quickly followed by another Higgins free as Belcoo turned the Kinawley kickout to win possession and the foul.

But Kinawley and McCaffrey had the last say of the day when a good ball over the top set the full forward on her way and she fired over the last point of the game as it ended 3-09 to 1-07.

Speaking after the game, Belcoo manager, Paul McGrath said: "The general feeling from our end is disappointment in the performance, we didn’t really show ourselves at all but that’s a positive from the Kinawley side of it, they didn’t allow us to get into any rhythm, flow or build any real momentum in the game.

"We’ve a young side who battled to the final whistle as they always do, and getting to the final for the first time is another step forward for us. We’ll take the defeat, the learnings and we’ll knuckle down and go again. Kinawley’s experience, strength, know how and quality told, they were deserving winners."