Castlebar Claim Connacht Women's Plate

Carrick on Shannon RFC 0-63 Castlebar

Joyce O'Boyle running in the second of her four tries for Castlebar.

Castlebar produced an outstanding performance to dispatch a brave Carrick on Shannon team in the Connacht Women’s Plate final this afternoon.

With their forwards providing an excellent platform, the skilful Castlebar backs were magnificent and centre Joyce O’Boyle was the Player of the Match with four tries to her name.

Castlebar hit the front on 10 minutes as impressive out-half Darwyn O’Halloran sliced through a gap in midfield and fed supporting left winger Jen Keegan to cross in the corner. Scrum-half Becky Gavin was narrowly off target with the conversion as Castlebar led 5-0.

O’Boyle scored her first try in the left corner after a neat sidestep to make it 10-0 after 18 minutes.

Carrick on Shannon were hitting a brick wall of Castlebar defence when in possession and Emma Doyle touched down Castlebar’s third try in the right corner after taking the ball at pace and weaving through the defence to touch down with Gavin landing the conversion to make it 17-0.

A Katie Gannon effort on 34 minutes saw Castlebar make it four tries with Gavin kicking her second conversion.

Keegan ran in for her second try on 38 minutes as she expertly scooped up a kick to touch down in the left corner with Gavin again converting for a 31-0 interval lead.

Carrick on Shannon continued to battle hard and enjoyed a good spell of possession at the start of the second half but the Castlebar defence was resolute.

With ball in hand they were clinical as towering centre O’Boyle went on the outside of the defence to touch down her side’s sixth try before Grace Kelly went in under the posts.

Reduced to 14 due to injuries, Carrick on Shannon had to really dig in as the game entered the final stages and O’Boyle completed her hat-trick before replacement Caroline Staunton scored in the right corner with a breakaway try from O’Boyle completing the scoring.

Carrick on Shannon: Una Creegan; Tracy McDonagh, Aoife Byrne, Carla McKeon, Grace Golden; Michelle Duffy, Marie Clerkin; Maeve McKeon, Catriona Kielty, Emaa Kavanagh; Paula O'Dowd, Regina Fallon; Vivienne Frain, Aoife Kelly, Sinead Kenny.

Replacements: Karrina Johnson, Aisling Moran, Sinead Phillips, Imelda Smyth, Clare Brennan.

Castlebar RFC squad: Emma Doyle; Claire Cuffe, Joyce O'Boyle, Sandra Kenny, Jen Keegan; Darwyn O'Halloran, Becky Gavin; Kiara Irwin, Fiona Nic Ruairí, Ann Marie O'Hora; Lisa Moore, Abigail Gimenez; Grace Kelly, Lisa Carroll, Emma Fabby.

Replacements: Cathy Blake, Emma Feerick, Allison Foy, Katie Gannon, Caroline Staunton.

• women