03/08/2026
Super achievement by a superb squad of players of whom I am privileged and proud to be their Head Coach. Followed up last year's runners up spot to claim the title with one game still to go. This was a league containing a couple of the big hitters in Mayo Women's football so no mean achievement.
𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
The Kiltimagh Knock United Senior Ladies secured the Eco Powered Cabinets Mayo Women's League Division 1 league title in Killala on Friday evening. Going into the game the KK ladies were in pole position leading both Killala and Castlebar Celtic by 4 points with two games left to play. KK and Killala have a terrific history of absolutely bringing the best out of each other right up the ages at underage and now also at senior level. Games are usually highly fought well contested affairs, with lots of total goals and very little between the sides at the final whistle. That this game lived up to the billing would be a wild understatement!
Prior to kick-off both sides had impressive stats in the for and against columns. KK had scored 36 and conceded 8 in their 8 matches while Killala had respective figures of 32 and 12. The sides had faced each other twice already this season with KK winning the league match in CMS Park 3-1 and Killala getting a measure of revenge with a thrilling 4-3 Divisional Cup semi-final victory at home. The permutations for us were quite simple - win the game and we would be champions with a game to spare. This was our 4th trip to north Mayo this season and we anticipated a shoot-out though not as much as transpired!
This group of girls have made a really good habit of starting games very much on the front foot and Mary Ann opened the scoring in the 1st minute with Siofra doubling our lead two minutes later. Mary Ann went close again in the 12th minute before Alva Munnelly scored a sublime goal for Killala on the quarter hour mark - arrowing the ball right into the top left hand corner of the net. Back on attack we went and Mary Ann tested the home 'keeper after good work by Shona. Two minutes later Shona threaded a wonderful through ball and Mary Ann finished brilliantly.
In addition to her goal-scoring prowess, Mary Ann was giving a masterclass in centre-forward play with her ability to hold up the ball, hold off good defenders and then bring other players into the game. She is following a rich line of top centre forwards that we have been blessed with, such as Kate O'Dowd and Ellen Boyle. Mary Ann's hold-up play directly led to Siofra advancing from central midfield to power past three opponents before rifling home to put us three goals up with half an hour on the clock. Mary Ann went close again before the move of the first half involving Kate, Siofra and Shona ended with Emma Munnelly in the home game making a superb save to deny Mary Ann what would have been the ultimate "team" goal. Munnelly made an even better save a few minutes later, somehow touching Mary Ann's rasper of a shot onto the crossbar and away for a corner kick.
Just as we were looking to the half-time break Alison Langdon Long chased what looked like a lost cause up the left wing and pivoted back to score. A great example of never giving up on a cause.
Half-Time:
Killala 2
Kiltimagh Knock United 4
Our talk at the interval centred around aiming to score the first goal of the 2nd half but within a minute of the restart that girl Langdon Long seized on a stray pass of ours in midfield to race through and finish accurately off the post to bring the minimum between the two teams again. Mike Tyson's line about you having the greatest plan in the world until you step in the ring and someone punches you in the face came to mind. Lesser teams than this would have certainly buckled at this stage having seen two of their three goal advantage wiped out but the KK girls doubled down on the work rate and intensity that has served them so well all season.
Across the backline, Kate, Cliona, Anna and Nicola repelled the dangerous home attacks while in midfield Saoirse Cunniffe was excelling in an unfamiliar holding role, Erika was having her usual superb showing in the '10' position while the younger Saoirse, the teenage Murray girl, covered every blade of grass up and down our left flank. Mary Ann continued to carry an exceptional threat and went close twice in the space of a minute before she completed another hat-trick on 55 minutes.
Siofra had a shot saved after being teed up by Shona while an excellent Anna free-kick found its way to Shona at the back post and her effort was inches too high.
Back came the home team and on 61 minutes Alva Munnelly executed a chipped finish of the highest standard to leave everyone in no doubt that Killala were not giving up on this. Mary Ann was desperately unlucky to see the crossbar deny her for the second time and she eked out two more shots on goal shortly after but no luck. With 15 minutes left, the home team amazingly reduced the deficit again to one goal when Laura Bilbow powered home an Anna McDonnell (the other one!) corner.
Nerves were certainly jangling in our ranks at this stage and our captain and goalkeeper Elaine made a couple of smart interventions to keep our lead intact. We still carried a great threat going forward and a fantastic Shona ball up the right wing found the tireless, energetic Siofra who beat the last defender before firing home to complete her hat-trick. In an all round team performance on the night, Siofra was simply scintillating with her huge drive and energy combined with being a bloody good footballer. Shona had a shot saved as we very much were of the opinion that attack was the best form of defence. Mary Ann had our final chance two minutes from time when her free-kick whistled wide.
The final whistle brought an end to what had been an unbelievable football spectacle for anyone who was privileged to be there. Despite the stakes, the game was played in a wonderful spirit without as much as a single bad challenge and, hence, the absence of cards of any hue.
Final Score:
Killala 5
Kiltimagh Knock United 7
Squad:
K Byrne, C Callaghan, L Corrigan, A Collins, C Conlon, S Cunniffe, K Doherty, E Duffy (C), E Egan, S Golden, S Mahon, N Maloney, K Mallee, S Murray, A McDonnell, S McGuinness, E Ryan, M A Ward
Referee: Mark Boland.
This was a game for the ages and a wonderful advertisement for the Mayo Women's League although not great for the blood pressure! It was pure attacking football from two teams with a galaxy of special footballers. This was a game that we had marked out as pivotal from literally as soon as the fixtures came out, and thankfully our squad bought into it. It was the best numbers turned out that we had all season and this was especially impressive given that it was a Bank Holiday weekend, an away match in north Mayo and us missing two regular starters each of whom have played 11 of our matches this season. That's where a good squad comes into play. As it turned out, a draw would have still seen us crowned champions because of results elsewhere.
This is our second time to win the First Division having done it previously by beating Ballinrobe Town in a play-off in Concannon Park, Claremorris, in 2023. Brilliant to see that 15 players who were in that squad then are also part of the group this year. They are Cliona Callaghan, Aoife Collins, Grainne Collins, Saoirse Cunniffe, Elaine Duffy, Juliet Duffy, Elaine Egan, Shauna Golden, Shona Mahon, Nicola Maloney, Aoibhinn McDonagh, Anna McDonnell, Savanna McGuire, Amber Noone and Hana Ueno. Not a bad retention rate at all!
Our attention now turns to our final league match at CMS Park on Friday, August 14th, when Castlebar Celtic will be our visitors on an evening when we will be presented with the trophy.
Mayo Women's League fans
