All-Ireland U20 Ladies Football Championship Final: Donegal 1-9 Galway 3-11

First-half goals from Galway proved to be too much of a hill to climb for Donegal, who missed out on a first All-Ireland U20 title.

A superb 2-8 from Alisha O’Malley helped steer the Tribeswomen to the inaugural title at Tubbercurry.

Ava Heneghan also found the Donegal net in a first half that disappointed Donegal joint-manager Dessie McNamara, whose side were nine points down by the break.

“In fairness to Galway, they knew we moved the ball quickly inside and they had the girls tightly marked,” said McNamara, who, along with colleague Paul Gillespie, admitted that chasing the game was tough.

“Maybe our shot selection was wrong, chasing the game you are forcing things and it was too much for us in the end.”

The first Ulster champions only managed four first-half points while Alanna Boyle and Galway’s Banek both received yellow cards before the end of the half.

Sara Thomas had opened the scoring for Donegal before O’Malley’s two-point attempt caught Ellie McGarvey out for a goal inside two minutes.

O’Malley posted another 1-1, pointing first before winning a short kick-out and firing into the roof of the net on ten minutes.

Heneghan was taken down for a penalty, and O’Malley stepped up to complete her hat-trick, only to be denied by a good save from McGarvey.

They did get a third goal on 21 minutes when Aoibhinn Madden found Heneghan, who struck the bottom corner of McGarvey’s net and that put them in control.

Caitlin Fletcher, who finished with 1-4 for Donegal, did find the net after Thomas hit the bar, but O’Malley responded with two from play.

Chloe Costello and Fletcher kicked further scores, but three O’Malley frees kept them at bay with a late Katie Slattery point,

In the closing stages, Fletcher kicked a two-pointer, but it was too little too late for the Tír Chonaill side.

Galway scorers: A O’Malley 2-8 (5f), A Heneghan 1-0, S Murray, K Banek, K Slattery 0-1 each.

Donegal scorers: C Fletcher 1-4, L Ward 0-2 (2f), S Thomas, A O’Neill and C Costello 0-1 each