Another glory day for Caltra
By JACKIE CAHILL Caltra St Cuan's ...................2-8 St Enda's, Omagh .................0-8 GALWAY champions Caltra and their Tyrone opponents St Enda's, the Ulster champions, finished level 0-7 apiece in the 2010 Tesco All-Ireland Ladies Football Junior Club Championship final as far back as December 11th but due to bad weather the replay was put back until the New Year. And this eagerly-awaited re-match at Mullahoran, Co. Cavan last Sunday was well worth the wait. A large crowd saw Caltra corner-forward ÃÂine Mannion kick six superb points to inspire her team to an historic first All-Ireland victory: two from play in the first half and four more scores in the second half, including two late frees which helped to seal a famous win. The clinching score was an injury-time goal by Caltra wing-forward Emma Naughton who cut in from the right and fired in a shot which dipped over the head of the St Enda's goalkeeper Kelly O'Sullivan â€â€ she had started the game at centre half-forward and was substituted midway through the second half, but in a desperate attempt to claw their way back into the game in the closing stages the Tyrone team sent O'Sullivan back on, in goal, and switched the starting goalkeeper Colleen McCullagh into the attack. But it was to no avail as Caltra Cuan's comfortably held off the Ulster challenge to seal an impressive six-point win. A slight breeze favoured St Enda's in the first half but Caltra got off to a dream start with 1-1 on the scoreboard inside six minutes. The goal came from a Sarah Noone penalty kick, after Breda Hanlon was judged to have been fouled close in, and Caltra soon moved well clear. They led 1-3 to 0-1 by the 23rd minute, but St Enda's then sent over four points in a row, including one off the top of the crossbar, so at half-time the Caltra lead was cut to the minimum at 1-3 to 0-5. Seven minutes after the resumption, Caltra full-forward Orlaith Hannon saw her drive for a goal smash back off the bar before ÃÂine Mannion's third point from play opened the second-half scoring. Seven minutes after that, the ball hit the crossbar at the other end as a goalbound shot was touched onto the woodwork by Caltra goalkeeper Lucy Greene, deflecting it over for a point that left only one between the teams again, Caltra 1-5 St Enda's 0-7. Then came three in a row (two off frees) by Caltra's scoring ace Mannion, and Emma Naughton's late goal was the icing on the cake. Caltra Cuan's: L. Greene; T. Loughnane, C. McHugh, H. Cullinane; ÃÂ. NàCheallaigh, S. Noone (1-0, penalty), àTully; L. Naughton, C. Kilroy, captain; E. Naughton (1-1), O. Kilkenny, N. Kilkenny; B. Hanlon, O. Hannon (0-1), ÃÂ. Mannion (0-6, two frees). Subs., S. Mannion, for Loughnane, 34 mins; S. Flood, for Hanlon, 64 mins. St Enda's: C. McCullagh; O. Kelly, C. Gormley, E. Nugent; C. McGovern, C. Mullin, C. Hunter; C. McCullagh, N. McCrossan; C. McGale, T. McCullagh, H. Ballard; E. Collins, K. O'Sullivan, C. McCrossan. Subs., M. O'Neill, 46 mins; L. Moynagh, 57 mins; K. O'Sullivan, 60 mins. Referee: Pat Kehoe (Carlow). HISTORY REPEATED. When a Caltra football team got to an All-Ireland final, they won it! Just like their men did on St Patrick's Day 2004, with a thrilling one-point victory (0-13 to 0-12) over Kerry and Munster standard-bearers An Ghaeltacht in the All-Ireland Senior Club Championship final at Croke Park. The legendary West Kerry club fielded five famous county players that day, brothers Marc, Tomás and Darragh Ó Sé, Aodhán Mac Gearailt and Dara Ó Cinneide. On that occasion, one of the Caltra stars was the brilliant attacking wing-back Declan Meehan, and it was interesting to see 'Deccy' helping out behind the scenes last year when the Caltra ladies won the All-Ireland Junior inter-club seven-a-side competition in Dublin, and again for the Club Championships. Another vital link with the two All-Ireland winning teams from Caltra is Gabriel Naughton, a selector in 2003/2004 and manager of the newly crowned Ladies Football champions. Gabriel is joined in the management team by Marie Mannion, Seán Ó Ceallaigh and Mary Hanlon; they organised a total of 98 training sessions and matches in the last eleven months. Well done from Herald Sport to the St Cuan's, Caltra girls and all involved in this great victory, which brings honour and glory to their club and county. Panel: Lucy Greene, Sinéad Flood, Cariosa McCugh, Helen Cullinane, Aoife NàCheallaigh, Sarah Noone, Aine Tully, Laura Naughton, Ciara Kilroy (captain), Emma Naughton, Orla Kilkenny, Niamh Kilkenny, Breda Hanlon, Orlaith Hannon, Aine Mannion, Lillian Hughes, Sinéad Mannion, Theresa Loughnane, Lorraine Lally, Amy Lally, BrÃÂd Greene, Breda Heneghan, Sonya Mulryan, Yvonne Hannon, Megan Kelly, Kasia Sitek, Laura Smyth, Ailish Raftery, Niamh Raftery. [gallery link='file' columns='4' orderby='rand']