Carlow emerged victorious by the slenderest margin after a pulsating Lidl Division 4 league final at St Brendan’s Park in Birr.
Clíodhna Ní Shé’s extra-time goal proved to the decisive score of the game, the former League of Ireland soccer player striking the ball while on the ground and her shot just squirmed under the body of Martina Gallagher.
That put Carlow four points ahead and although Muireann Devaney pulled a goal back for Leitrim with the last kick of the game from a 20 metre free kick there was no time remaining for them to push for an equalising score.
Carlow had started the brighter and enjoyed more of the ball during the opening half but the sides still went in level at half time, thanks mainly to a well taken goal by Leitrim centre half forward Leah Fox in the 26th minute.
With Ní Shé pulling the strings, Carlow raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead inside the opening ten minutes.
Sara Doyle, who went on to have a superb game, put them 0-7 to 0-3 ahead in the 25th minute but Leitrim showed a great fighting spirit.
Fox slotted home and then Dearbháile Beirne levelled the game going into the half time break.
Carlow seemed to have a grip of the game when their most experienced player Edel Hayden found the net after 37 minutes but five minutes later the teams were level again when Anna Devaney shot home.
Doyle and Ní Shé nudged Carlow ahead once more. Muireann Devaney converted a free for Leitrim before Doyle scored again in the 56th minute.
That Leitrim grit shone through again and a points by Fox and a Devaney free in the dying seconds sent the game to extra time, 1-11 to 2-8.
Extra time followed a similar pattern with Carlow surging ahead through an Aibha Kiernan but remarkably, with two minutes Leitrim were in the lead for the first time thanks to a delightful lobbed Laura O’Dowd goal and another Fox point.
However, a yellow card to full back Charlene Tyrrell proved costly and during her time in the sin bin, Carlow scored 1-2 either side of the half time break and ultimately, it was that goal by N Ní Shé that settled the game.
Scorers – Carlow: C Ní Shé 1-6 (3fs), S Doyle 0-5, E Hayden 1-0, A Kiernan 1-1, R Bermingham 0-1
Leitrim: L Fox 1-3, M Devaney 1-2 (1-2fs), A Devaney 1-1, L O’Dowd 1-0, M Guckian 0-1f, D Beirne 0-1, K Gormley 0-1
CARLOW: N Hanley; A Carroll, A Roche, S O’Neill; A Webb, N Forde, R Bermingham; R Bailey, C O’Neill; E Hayden, C Ní Shé, A Hanley; M Townsend, S Doyle, A Kiernan. Subs: Brónagh Nolan for Townsend (38), Beibhín Nolan for Hayden (67)
LEITRIM: M Gallagher; J Maye, C Tyrrell, N Morahan; D Beirne, L Devaney, S Reynolds; N Tighe, M Guckian; L O’Dowd, L Fox, A Gilmartin; A Devaney, M Devaney, K Gormley. Subs: D Rooney for Tighe (ht), A Clancy for Gormley (41), C Dolan for A Devaney (44), V Egan for Guckian (49), E Guckian for Gilmartin (68), S Ward for Reynolds (77)
By Ger McNally
