JUNIOR FINAL: Antrim 3-0 Louth 0-7:ANTRIM WERE crowned junior champions for the second time in four seasons at Croke Park yesterday.

A strong first-half performance laid the foundations for a comfortable 11-point victory. Louth had beaten Antrim by nine points earlier in the championship.

Northern Ireland soccer international Kirsty McGuinness was the heroine, bagging a brace of goals.

McGuinness netted a first-half penalty and added her side’s third goal in the final minute to put the icing on Antrim’s cake.

At half-time, Antrim led 2-3 to 0-2 and the goals came as real sucker punches to off-colour Louth, who registered their first score of the game in the 22nd minute.

ANTRIM:C McCoy; B Scullion, E Kelly, S Haughey; C McHugh, N Kelly, A Tubridy; C Mullan (0-1), G McGinley; C Carey, K McGuinness (2-0), C Timoney (0-4, frees); A McAtamney, A Finnegan (1-1), M Cooper (0-1). Subs: M McCurdy (0-2) for McAtamney (h-t), N Cooper for Scullion (50), D McAteer for McHugh (56), R Fulton for Finnegan (57).

LOUTH:U Pearson; AM Lynch, A Carney, A McGee; M McMahon, M O'Connell (0-1), P Marmion; G Lynch (0-1), S Lynch (0-1); L Kelly, AM Murphy (0-1, free), C O'Connor, C O'Connor; R Heeney, K Flood (0-1), J McGuinness (0-1). Subs: K Cunningham for McGuinness (15), J McGuinness for Cunningham (23), V McGinn for Marmion (h-t), S Byrne (0-1) for Flood (40), E Conlon for McGuinness (54).

Referee: S Regan (Roscommon).