A bright but cold Dunganny on Sunday afternoon, saw Longwood and Senechalstown do battle for U13 LGFA League glory.

For a relatively young LGFA club like Longwood to be reaching finals on a regular basis, as they have done this year, is testament to the amazing work being done by all the coaches and also speaks to the skill, talent and commitment of all the players.

Facing up to an established outfit like Senechalstown in a final would strike fear into many teams, but the Longwood girls showed that while they might respect their opponents, they fear nobody.

The game was played in windy conditions which made things difficult for both teams. While Senechalstown did take advantage of the elements, the Longwood girls kept in touch thanks to some tenacious defending from Zoe Butler, Gabrielle Smyth and Roisin Murray. When the ball was worked forward, Katie O’Sullivan, Ella McCann and Izzy Fahey always looked threatening. Katie O’Sullivan’s powerful and direct running caused countless problems for the opposing defence and her hat-trick of goals were a joy to behold.

Ultimately, Senechalstown’s greater experience and physical presence proved decisive and saw them edge over the line. But they certainly knew they had been in a battle.

The large Longwood support can only be proud of the girl’s efforts. They played with tremendous courage and skill, never dropped their heads and kept going right to the final whistle. These admirable characteristics are required by every successful team and there is no doubt that this talented group of girls will be winning league titles in the years ahead.

Well done to all the players and their coaches. We hope you all enjoy a well-deserved rest and look forward to seeing you back in action in 2022!

Maigh Dearmhaí abú!

Longwood: Ashling Alawiye, Abbie Lomax, Gabrielle Smyth, Zoe Butler, Ellie Saunders, Roisin Murray, Aisling Foran, Ella McCann (1-2), Lucy Moran, Katie O’Sullivan (3-1), Katie Holton, Izzy Fahey, Shannon Meagher, Airah Alawiye