Future is bright for Walsh and Naomh Padraig after LGFA Junior B success

There wasn't a Player of the Match award, but if there was then Ava Walsh would probably have gone home with it on Sunday afternoon when her Naomh Padraig side overcame a dogged Aodh Ruadh 6-10 to 4-9  to take their first ever Ladies adult title in Killygordon.

Walsh was a real thorn in the Aodh Ruadh defence from the first minute and she underlined that with a goal after just two minutes - going onto score 2-3 in all. A second goal followed on 20 minutes and while she had a quiet period at the start of the second  half, when the game was in the melting pot, she came good again and won a penalty at the death which sealed the issue.

"It wasn't an easy win. We fought right to the end and the two teams were equally competitive. We had to work to the final whistle and we deserved it in the end," said Walsh afterwards.

The game was played in a great spirit with Aodh Ruadh contributing handsomely. "We started well and we had the foot on the pedal, but once we stopped they kept getting back at us and they were putting the points over the bar. We had to keep digging deep then."

When Aodh Ruadh came back in the second half, it took Walsh and her teammates, especially Grace McColgan, to rally their side.

"We link up well together," said Walsh, who added that there would be big celebrations after the win. We went down by a few points (in the second half) but we dug deep to come back then."

Walsh paid tribute to the Aodh Ruadh defence for limiting her scoring after she hit 2-2 in the opening half. "There didn't seem to be too much of a breeze. Aodh Ruadh were very defensive and they put a lot of pressure on us getting scores and that's a credit to them and their defence."

The final score was the Grace McColgan penalty which was won by Walsh after she broke through the Aodh Ruadh defence.
"That was the insurance score then for us," said Walsh. The impressive full-forward is pretty new to the game and would seem to have a big future.

"I've only started playing around this time last year with the senior team. This team has been going now for three years so it is really good that we are in Junior A now next year. They were in the Shield final in 2020 against Burt and they lost that. But we have dug deep to win the Cup final this year."