St Odhrans Silvermines hold off Rovers rally to claim Junior B crown

St Odhrans Silvermines 6-14
Rockwell Rovers 5-8

St Odhrans Silvermines claimed the Tipperary LGFA Camida Junior B Championship title with a nine-point victory over Rockwell Rovers in a final which produced eleven goals and a spirited second-half comeback from the losers.

Having established a commanding first-half advantage, St Odhrans Silvermines saw their lead cut to just three points as Rockwell fought their way back into contention. However, goals from Clodagh Daly and Maeve Cunneen in the closing stages settled the contest and secured the silverware for the North Tipperary side.

The opening exchanges set the tone for a high-scoring encounter. Niamh Cunneen opened St Odhrans Silvermines’ account, while Emily McGrath struck an early goal for Rockwell Rovers.

St Odhrans Silvermines responded with points from Shanahan, Emer Moroney and Cunneen before finding the net twice through Daly and Kellie O’Dwyer. Those scores gave them an early grip on proceedings, with a further Daly point bringing their tally to 2-5.

Rockwell struggled to contain the opposition attack during the first half. Two further goals and a succession of points strengthened St Odhrans Silvermines’ position, leaving Rovers facing a considerable task to get back into the game.

To their credit, Rockwell produced a determined response. By the early stages of the second half, they had brought their tally to 2-5, and although St Odhrans Silvermines added another point, Rovers continued to make inroads.

Ciara Fitzpatrick contributed a point and a goal to reduce the deficit to seven. A further St Odhrans Silvermines point briefly checked that momentum, but Anna O’Donoghue then found the net for Rockwell to leave the score at 4-11 to 4-6.

Two more Rovers points brought the sides within a single goal, transforming the outlook of a final which had appeared firmly in St Odhrans Silvermines’ control.

With their advantage under threat, the eventual champions delivered the decisive response. A point gave them some breathing space before Daly struck for a vital goal. Maeve Cunneen followed with another, pushing the lead out to ten points at 6-12 to 4-8 and leaving Rockwell with too much ground to recover.

St Odhrans Silvermines added two further points before Fitzpatrick scored her second goal late on, completing a personal contribution of 2-1 for Rovers.

Rockwell’s recovery ensured that the winners were made to work for the title, but St Odhrans Silvermines’ ability to respond at the crucial stage proved decisive. Their early scoring power laid the foundations, and their late goals finally put a determined Rovers side beyond reach.