Mourneabbey brush aside Dunboyne to reach All-Ireland football final
Doireann O'Sullivan sets up Laura Fitzgerald for a goal for Mourneabbey against St Peter's Dunboyne. Picture: Larry Cummins
Mourneabbey 6-17 Dunboyne 0-5
A SIMPLY sublime display from Mourneabbey saw them brush aside Dunboyne advance to the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Ladies Senior Club Football Championship final.
The defending champions were in no mood for hanging around and from the throw-in, they stamped their authority on this encounter. Outstanding displays from the likes of Doireann O'Sullivan, Laura Fitzgerald, and Eimear Meaney ensured they came out on top.
Fitzgerald kept her goalscoring exploits going as she hit four more, to add to the three she got in the Munster final and semi-final: lethal in front of goal.
The last time a number of these players faced each other was the All-Ireland senior semi-final between Meath and Cork, with the former coming out in top thanks to the likes of Emma Duggan and Vikki Wall. However, on this occasion, it was Mourneabbey's Cork stars who shone brightest.
Before the game, both sides stood in silence to remember Ashling Murphy, who died tragically last week.
The home side dominated from the start with Ciara O'Sullivan getting their first score and in the third minute it was over to her sister, Doireann for their opening goal. Emma Duggan pointed from a free for the visitors with Roisin, another of the O'Sullivan sisters, raising another white flag. With nine minutes gone Doireann got her second goal as they raced into a 2-3 to 0-1 lead
Fiona O'Neill replied for Dunboyne, with Duggan and Shelly Melia also on the scoreboard to make it 2-5 to 0-4 at the water break.
Doireann O'Sullivan, Laura Fitzgerald, and Brid O'Sullivan all raised white flags, and just before half-time Fitzgerald got their third goal as the home side had one foot in the final as they led 3-9 to 0-4 at the break.
Any hope of a Dunboyne comeback were well and truly over just five minutes into the second half as Mourneabbey had added another 2-2.
From the restart, Fitzgerald got her third goal, quickly followed by points from Ciara and Doireann O'Sullivan. Fitzgerald then got her fourth goal, to make it 5-11 to 0-4 and it was game over for the visitors.
Another sweeping move from Mourneabbey saw Fitzgerald raise their sixth green flag and even with Aisling O'Sullivan in the sin bin at this point for the home side it mattered little.
Duggan scored but Mourneabbey kept piling forward with Doireann and Ciara, Deirdre Cronin all scoring.
Duggan had a couple of goal chances, with one hitting the bar and Meabh O'Sullivan making two great saves. Doireann raised another white flag as the defending champions march on to the final where they will face Kilkerrin-Clonberne.
