Cliodhna Ní Shé on song as Bennekerry/Tinryland win intermediate crown

Bennekerry/Tinryland (Carlow) 2-10 Annaghdown (Galway) 1-07

Cliodhna Ní Shé amassed an impressive haul of 2-04 at Croke Park as a magnificent Bennekerry/Tinryland made history by defeating Galway's Annaghdown in the AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship final.

Already in the record books as the first Carlow outfit to reach a ladies football club showpiece at national level, Bennekerry/Tinryland created further headlines in GAA headquarters by overcoming the challenge of Annaghdown – who had previously secured an All-Ireland title at this grade in 2016.

In a bright opening to the contest, Ní Shé (free) and Lauren Dwyer kicked unanswered points to give Bennekerry/Tinryland an early advantage over their Connacht counterparts. Annaghdown initially struggled to find their feet at the Jones’ Road venue, but after raiding wing-back Bronagh Quinn got them up and running with a fine white flag effort, the Tribeswomen edged in front when Ciara McCarthy rifled a low shot to the opposition net just shy of the first-quarter mark.

Yet having fired agonisingly wide from an earlier opportunity, Carlow inter-county star Ní Shé eventually had a goal to her name courtesy of a clinical finish in the 19th minute.

The dynamic centre-forward had also registered a point from play in advance of bagging a major for her side, before successive points by Dwyer and Sinead Hayden helped to propel Bennekerry/Tinryland towards a 1-5 to 1-1 interval lead.

Despite Annaghdown cutting their deficit to three with a Ciara Hegarty point just 15 seconds after the restart, Bennekerry/Tinryland established a powerful platform when Dwyer, Hayden and Ní Shé all split the uprights in quick succession.

The latter brought her personal tally up to 1-4 through a