Fermanagh are All-Ireland Ladies junior football champions for the third time and first since 2020 after beating Louth 1-11 to 0-12 at Croke Park on Sunday.
This game will forever be known as the Eimear Smyth final as the young Derrygonnelly attacker landed 1-9 of her county’s 1-11 in a performance for the ages.
The Ulster champions led 1-5 to 0-5 at the break and it was a first half dominated by Erne full-forward Smyth, who landed 1-4 inside the opening half an hour.
The decisive score came on 10 minutes as Smyth gathered a high ball from Blaithin Bogue before expertly rounding Rebecca Lambe Fegan in the Louth goal and firing into the empty net.
Early in the second half Fermanagh were denied what looked to be a sure goal as Fegan saved Niamh McManus’ effort from point-blank range with the rebound colliding with the post and somehow staying out of the net.
Louth battled hard in the second half with scores from Niamh Rice and Kate Flood but could not get level as everything Smyth touched turned to gold.
