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Buttevant 0-11 St Catherines 1-6
Buttevant were grateful for the accuracy of Eimear Healy and some excellent goalkeeping from Dawn O Keeffe as they were crowned Evening Echo junior B champions in Killavullen on Saturday.
On an excellent pitch Buttevant enjoyed plenty of first half possession but they turned around just one point ahead at the break Eimear Healy pointing a free on the half time whistle. Over the hour Eimear Healy played a big role at full forward winning a lot of possession and frees which she converted from every angle.
Evelyn Roynane and Healy exchanged early point and it was score for score as it remained deadlocked, St Catherines did have a chance of a goal eighteen minutes into the opening half but Andrea Mangan’s penalty attempt was well saves by Buttevant keeper Dawn O’ Keeffe. Time out of number O’ Keefe stood firm as St Catherines applied pressure and over the hour she was superb bringing off some excellent saves.
The second half was again a close affaire Eimear Healy continued to show her accuracy converting three Buttevant frees while Andrea Mangan kept St Catherine in the hunt converting two as Buttevant kept marginally ahead. Crucially for them they never allowed the St Catherine’s draw level but this was thanks in no small way to wayward shooting by a St Catherines attack that in the second half shot
With five minutes remaining Sharon Sheehan and Eimear Healy had added point to put Buttevant four points ahead but St Catherines finally found a way past Dawn O’ Keeffe Evelyn Roynane grabbing the goal they had threatened to get with two minutes of normal time remaining.
Again St Catherines had chances to level but they failed to avail of them as the Buttevant defence held solid under pressure, Healy converted a free to stretch the lead to two points and as the game entered injury time St Catherines had time to find a winner but they could find no way past a determined Buttevant defence that held firm despite a lot of pressure to take the title.
Scorers for Buttevant: E Healy 0-9 (0-7f), D Farrell 0-1,
St Catherines:
BUTTEVANT: D O’ Keeffe; J O Flynn, M Sheehy, N Crowley; A Walsh, T Roche, S Breen; N Curran , D Farrell (c); S Buckley, S Sheehan, T O Connell; M O Keeffe, E Healy, D O Callaghan.
Sub E Harrington for J O Flynn (40).
ST CATHERINES : A Hartnett; H Lane, A Galvin, M Mulcahy ( c ); A O Keeffe, S Noonan, J Hurley; R O Callaghan, M Daly; T Fitzpatrick, – A Mangan; C Mc Govern; K O Donovan, E Roynane, K Higgins.
Sub: P O’ Brien for K Higgins (h/t)
Ref: Peter Downey (Inniscarra).
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