The Louth Ladies Division Two title made its way to Collon on Sunday afternoon as a Maria Reid inspired Mattock Rangers produced a stirring second-half display to overthrow St Patrick’s at a sun drenched Clan na Gael Park.
Credit must go to both sets of players, who produced a thrilling final, played at a very high tempo, for the large crowd who basked in the sweltering conditions on the Ecco Road.
An enjoyable first quarter set the tone with Pat’s captain Kate Flood wiping out early scores by Mattock’s Hannah Carolan and Marie Reid by cutting in from the left and smacking a low drive past Anna Brennan to register the first of six goals on the day.
Mattock, who won the Division Three final 12 months earlier, played some fine football in attack and Reid put the cap on a lovely move — started by Carolan — when she evaded the attentions of Melissa O’Hanlon to find the top corner of the Pat’s net.
Ciara Eccles added another well worked score minutes later but Pat’s hit back through Nicola Connor and Grace Treanor, the latter swivelling and firing over in one movement, and they were desperately unlucky not to claim another major with Orna MacArtain and Connor both hitting the frame of the goal in quick succession.
Both sides started racking up the wides before Reid made no mistake with a free to put Mattock ahead by two, 1–4 to 1–2, but Damien Connor’s side regained the lead when Catherine O’Connor’s quick thinking saw her divert a Meg Woods effort past Anna Brennan with her fist in the 23rd minute.
And it was the Lordship side who finished the half in the ascendancy with a brace of Flood points, either side of a Grainne Reid score, sending them in for a well earned cool down at the break with a 2–4 to 1–5 lead.
Alan Fedigan and Peter Dooley’s half-time team talk certainly had the desired affect as Mattock hit the first four scores of the second-half. Grainne Reid started the flurry after a Hannah Carolan effort came back off the woodwork and they edged two points in front after to a fierce drive from Eccles was backed up by a brace from Maria Reid.
Pat’s, though, always looked like they had more goals in the locker and Aisling O’Doherty stemmed the Collon tide with a 43rd minute strike that saw the lead switch hands again, 3–4 to 1–9.
However, with Abbie O’Brien instrumental in attack and Kelly Connor keeping things ticking over in the centre of the park, Mattock steadied themselves and reestablished control with Reid and Eccles finding their way onto the scoresheet again.
Things started to go against Pat’s and the loss of O’Doherty to a yellow card in the 52nd minute, followed by a Flood effort that came back off the post two minutes later, suggested that it was going to be Mattock’s day.
Eccles tagged on another point to nudge her side towards the line and even though Flood kept Pat’s in touching distance with a hat-trick of scores, the final say went to Maria Reid who capped a wonderful individual display by hitting Mattock’s third goal to seal back-to-back league wins for the Collon outfit.
MATTOCK RANGERS: Anna Brennan; Eimear Grimes, Lisa Duff, Anna Dunne; Meabh Hickey, Rebecca Levins, Megan Minogue; Kelly Connor, Rachel Kane; Hannah Carolan (0–1), Abbie O’Brien, Ciara Eccles (1–3); Grainne Reid (0–2), Niamh Dooley, Maria Reid (2–6, 2f).
ST PATRICK’S: Nadine Callan; Melissa O’Hanlon, Caoimhe Breen, Ellen Barry; Chloe Barry, Catherine O’Connor (1–0), Claire Savage; Grace Treanor (0–1), Aine Breen; Aisling O’Doherty (1–0), Kate Flood (1–5), Jacqui Kirk; Nicola Connor (0–1), Orna MacArtain, Meg Woods. Subs: Evelyn Donnelly for C Barry, 37 mins; Deirbhle O’Doherty for C Savage, 52 mins.
REFEREE: Des McDonald.
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