Orlaith Prenter irrepressible in Antrim's Division 4 final win over Leitrim

The outstanding Orlaith Prenter kicked 0-08 against Leitrim at Parnell Park to guide Antrim towards their maiden Lidl NFL Division 4 title.

TG4 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship winners in 2021, Emma Kelly's side finally added an NFL crown to their roll of honours following previous defeats in the 2014, 2016 and 2019 Division 4 deciders.

Leitrim were winners of this competition back in 2010 but despite the best efforts of team captain Michelle Guckian and Ailbhe Clancy, Jonny Garrity's charges came up short on this occasion.

While Leitrim began brightly with back-to-back points from Clancy and Vivienne Egan, Antrim subsequently came to life in the north Dublin venue. After Lara Dahunsi split the uprights in fine style, Saffrons corner-forward Bronagh Devlin got on the end of a fourth-minute attack and hammered the ball to the back of the net.

Sharpshooter Prenter increased the Antrim advantage with a perfectly executed free, but their buffer was wiped out when Megan McGovern released Guckian for a Leitrim goal on eight minutes.

Evergreen Antrim centre-forward Cathy Carey and her opposite number Guckian proceeded to trade scores either side of the first-quarter mark, before the Ulster women built momentum with three points on the bounce courtesy of the dynamic inside duo of Devlin and Prenter (two).

Prenter and Dahunsi also fired over in response to an Ailbhe Clancy free, before Leah Fox dragged a Leitrim penalty wide of the left-hand post with just two minutes remaining in the opening half.

This ensured Antrim brought a 1-08 to 1-04 cushion into the interval and they increased the gap between the teams with Prenter's fifth point of the game shortly after the resumption.

St Ergnat’s Moneyglass star Maria O’Neill added her