Belgium GAA exit All-Ireland club championship in eight-point defeat

This article originally features on The 42.ie

Castleblayney Faughs booked their place in the All-Ireland club junior semi-finals with an eight-point win in Maastricht.

Castleblayney Faughs 2-19

Belgium GAA 5-2

BELGIUM GAA’S CLUB championship run came to an end on Sunday morning as they were beaten by Castleblayney Faughs in Maastricht.

Ulster champions Castleblayney ran out eight-point winners to book their place in the All-Ireland club junior championship semi-finals.

Belgium GAA had already made history earlier this month when they became the first European club to win a match in the All-Ireland series.

They scored the game’s opening goal through a penalty from Clara Lambert but trailed by three points at the break, 1-5 to 1-2.

Lambert’s second goal of the afternoon reduced that deficit to the minimum early in the second half before Margaux Mansanarez edged Belgium into the lead, 3-2 to 1-7.

But Castleblayney wrestled control of the tie, thanks in no small part to the firepower of full-forward Jodie McQuillan, and Aoibheann McCooey’s goal established a comfortable nine-point advantage as the game entered the last 10 minutes.

Belgium dug in and late goals from Mansanarez and Lambert, completing her hat-trick, left the final margin at eight points as Castleblayney marched on to the semis.