LFA WOMEN'S SHIELD FINAL

KINGSCOURT HARPS… 5

ST. JOHN BOSCO………..0

The LFA Junior Shield for ladies took place at a pristine AUL Bowl this afternoon as Kingscourt Harps from Cavan took on the pride of Drimnagh St. John Bosco.

It was evident early on that Harps number 9 Amy Rooney would play a pivotal role in proceedings. By minute five she'd had two efforts on goal. One saved by Rachel Burke and the second a free-kick that looped just over.

By DERMOT CLARKE / PHOTOS: EDDIE O’NEILL

Kingscourt pitched tent in the Bosco half early and they took the lead in the 12th minute when Rooney's corner from the left was bundled home by Aisling Cunningham.

The Saints woke up immediately and in the 16th minute skipper Mary Byrne slipped Aisling Field in but Sarah Cunningham raced from the goal to block her effort.

Ten Later Niamh Molloy fed Byrne and from a long, long way way out, she fired a scud that struck the inside of Cunningham's right post.

Harps though took a 2-0 lead to the break when Rooney pounced on some defensive sloppiness and skipped by a tackle before finding the corner.

Bosco began the second half brightly and Field might have halved the deficit when Molly and Byrne combined to send her in on 50 but her effort lacked the pace to trouble the 'Keeper.

They continued to look for the goal that might bring them back into it but midway through the half Rooney put it to bed with her second of the day. Again she was most alert when a backpass was underclubbed and she rounded Burke to score.

A couple later the same player completed her hat-trick when Nadine Cathcart found her free in the box where she flicked a ball through her legs and rolled home the fourth.

Late on Ceadaoin Patterson added a 5th although it looked like Burke had grabbed the ball before it fully crossed the line. It mattered little though as the game was already well and truly won.

Rooney was a stand-out player of the game and Harps were very worthy winners. Bosco never gave up, they will have better days and, though there were few issues, referee Christopher Keating and his assistants James Keating, Craig McCarthy and Pierce McKittrick controlled the game very well.

Kingscourt Harps: Sarah Cunningham, Emma Duffy, Caoimhe Fields, Aisling Cunningham, Rachel Kane, Fiona McAndrew, Jodie Quinn, Karen Wynne, Amy Rooney, Kelly Ward, Nadine Cathcart. Subs: Nicola Carroll, Ceadaoin Patterson, Aoife Byrne, Chantelle Curran, Fiona McElroy, Natash McLahey, Calista Cassidy.
St. John Bosco: Rachel Burke, Ali Kavanagh, Martha McGlade, Hannah Mills, Zoe Mooney, Mary Byrne, Niamh Molloy, Tiffany Heary, Libby Landers, Lauren Cunningham, Aisling Field. Subs: Siobhan Kennedy, Amy Neary, Ciara O'Connor, Niamh O'Connor, Ciara Walsh, Dani Doyle, Nicola Duffy.