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Louth beat Antrim to win All-Ireland Junior title

Louth beat Antrim to win All-Ireland Junior title

Yahoo2 days ago
Antrim were denied a first All-Ireland Junior Football Championship since 2022 after losing to Louth by 0-13 to 1-9 at Croke Park.
Bronagh Devlin netted a third-minute penalty for the Saffrons after Theresa Mellon was fouled within the square.
Aoife Russell cancelled out another swift point by Mellon, but Antrim extended their advantage through Omolara Dahunsi.
Dahunsi responded to back-to-back points from Louth forwards Russell and Ceire Nolan, and the Saffrons' advantage was cut further after Kate Flood and Shannen McLaughlin capitalised on Devlin's yellow card.
Louth held a 0-8 to 1-4 advantage at the break after a score by captain Aine Breen and two points from Flood.
Maria O'Neill got Antrim back on level terms early in the second half, but Eimear Byrne soon restored Louth's advantage.
Louth, who lost the 2024 decider to Fermanagh, put one hand on the title when Flood, Breen, Mia Duffy and Lucy White put them five points clear in the closing stages.
Antrim rallied late on through Ana Mulholland, Mellon and a late O'Neill point, but Louth had enough in hand to get over the line.
Louth: R Lambe Fagan; R Beirth, E Hand, E Murray; H Lambe Sally, S McLaughlin, L Byrne; A Breen, A Halligan; L White, E Byrne, S Matthews; A Russell, K Flood, C Nolan.
Subs: M Duffy for Matthews (42), L Collins for Russell (56), G McCrave for Lambe Sally, Z Sweeney for White (both 59).
Antrim: A Devlin; N McIntosh, M Blaney, M Mulholland; S O'Neill, C Brown, C McKenna; A Mulholland, A Tubridy; T Mellon, M O'Neill, Aoife Kelly; B Devlin, O Dahunsi, L Agnew.
Subs: A Turley for Tubridy, A Monaghan for Kelly (both 39), B Nic Cathail for Agnew (47), N Jones for B Devlin, Aine Kelly for McKenna (both 56).
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