St Francis U12 girls make club history with Shield success

St Francis FC under-12 girls have made history as the first girls’ team to win a title for the Athlone club.

St Francis won the MSL U12 Shield final against Laois outfit Abbeyleix on a scoreline of 4-1 recently.

The game got off to a flyer with Holly McCaul playing a superb pass for Sarah-Jane Dunne to run in behind the defence to score with a brilliant finish after just one minute of action.

The second goal came when Isla McEnroe won the ball and passed to McCaul, and her pass found Dunne. The latter flew past the Abbeyleix defender to score into the corner.

Aisling Fallon added a third just before half-time with an excellent run and finish.

To their credit, Abbeyleix came back into the game in the second half and scored a good goal.

However, a fantastic free kick from Fallon made it 4-1 to seal a famous win for the Saints.

Commenting on the historic day, Joe Dunne (one of the coaches of the team) said: “It was a massive team effort and every girl played their part. We saw commitment and effort from our girls throughout the season, so it’s no surprise that their hard work has paid off.”

St Francis FC chairman Declan Lough said: “This is only our second season in girls’ football, and to win a trophy is an amazing success. I’d like to congratulate the girls and their management team, Joe Dunne, Alan McCaul and Anne McEnroe on their deserved success. St Francis are very proud of what they have achieved.”

The St Francis FC U12 squad: Katelyn Casey, Holly McCaul, Kaja Wypych, Eleanor Cunningham, Rose Walsh, Charlotte Meares, Esmee Maher, Aoibheann Byrne, Alicja Tomcyk, Robyn Mulvihill, Lilly Mae McCormack, Florenca Dakaj, Sarah-Jane Dunne, Aisling Fallon, Isla McEnroe, Grace Seijde, Amy Gill, Lara McDonagh. Coaches: Alan McCaul, Joe Dunne, Anne McEnroe.