Kate Flood scored four points at Croke Park on Sunday as Louth overcame a determined Antrim side to secure a record fourth TG4 All-Ireland junior football championship title.
Antrim started strongly at GAA HQ, with captain Bronagh Devlin expertly converting a third-minute penalty into the roof of the net after Theresa Mellon was deemed to have been fouled inside the square following a short Maria O’Neill free.
Mellon added a point for Antrim, and while Louth, who lost last year’s final to Fermanagh, responded through Aoife Russell, Omolara Dahunsi extended Antrim’s lead.
Dahunsi also scored in response to points from Louth’s Aoife Russell and Ceire Nolan. Despite Bronagh Devlin’s temporary absence due to a yellow card, Louth narrowed the gap with contributions from Kate Flood and Shannen McLaughlin.
Although Antrim’s Maria O’Neill scored shortly after Devlin’s return, unanswered points by captain Áine Breen and Kate Flood (two) gave Louth a 0-8 to 1-4 lead at halftime.
Antrim remained competitive, and the team, jointly managed by Chris Scullion and Michael Devlin, leveled the score with a second point from Maria O’Neill three minutes into the second half.
This point put O’Neill ahead of Hannah Tyrrell in the ZuCar Golden Boot race, before Tyrrell’s later appearance in the senior final. However, Louth’s Eimear Byrne quickly restored their lead on 38 minutes.
A fantastic score from Flood extended Louth’s lead to two points. Further points from Breen and substitute Mia Duffy in the 47th and 49th minutes put Louth closer to victory.
Lucy White then increased Louth’s advantage. A late surge from Antrim, yielding three consecutive points from Ana Mulholland, Mellon, and O’Neill (a deflected goal attempt), wasn’t enough to prevent Louth’s victory.
: K Flood (0-4), A Breen, A Russell (0-2 each), S McLaughlin, L White, E Byrne, C Nolan, M Duffy (0-1 each).
: M O’Neill (0-3, 1f), B Devlin (1-0, pen), T Mellon, O Dahunsi (0-2 each), A Mulholland (0-1).
: 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.
: M Duffy for Matthews (42), L Collins for Russell (56), G McCrave for Lambe Sally, Z Sweeney for White (both 59).
: 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.
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).
: Kevin Corcoran (Mayo).
