Ulster Junior Ladies Club Football Championship

Ballyhegan Davitt’s (Armagh) 10-10 Con Magee’s Glenravel (Antrim) 3-6

By Seamus McAleenan

When you look at the final score-line, it is difficult to believe that Antrim champions Con Magee’s Glenravel began their first ever Ulster club championship game at breakneck pace and had Ballyhegan on the back foot for quite a long period in the opening half. Certainly at that stage it was difficult to see the comfortable Armagh victory it turned out to be.

The turning point came 17 minutes in with the visitors 2-3 to 1-2 ahead and looking very dangerous on every attack. Lisa Kerr managed to get a left footed kick in over her shoulder from a very acute angle along the end-line and the ball looped over goalie Joey O’Hagan and finished in the top-corner of the net.

From then on Ballyhegan had their tails up. Two minutes later Blathnaid Hendron placed Brenda McCormick for their side’s third goal and right on half-time Lauren O’Gorman lobbed in a fourth goal.

The visitors couldn’t add to their total during the second – or even the third quarter – despite a number of promising attacks particularly before the break. That was a result of a combination of wayward shooting and Ballyhegan’s effective use of Clodagh McCann as sweeper.

However the Antrim champions had opened with a bang; a five player move up the stand side finished with Victoria Edgar placing Kirsty Laverty for a fine team goal. Edgar added two quick points before Davitt’s got off the mark with the excellent Eve Lavery finished a move down the left wing with an 8th minute goal.

Although Edith McCormick added a point from a terrific move down the same wing, at the other end Torie Edgar robbed possession from a defender and sent Laoise McKenna through for Glenravel’s second goal.

During that period Torie Edgar, Ellen Hynds and Kirsty Laverty were running at defenders with Laoise McKenna coming through strong from midfield. Ballyhegan however curbed the threat soon after and then pressed their combined foot on the accelerator after the break to pull away.

Things looked promising for the Con Magees when Kirsty Laverty got them away to a flying start with an early goal – Pics by Dylan McIlwaine

The two wing backs, Edith McCormick and Grace Ferguson, broke through on an number of occasions, running deep into the Glenravel defence before off-loading to Brenda McCormack, Lauren O’Gorman or Aisling McGrane to hit big scores. However Player of the Match had to be Eve Lavery, scorer of that early goal to get them into the game. The centre-forward went on to have an excellent game and finished top-scorer with 4-2 – and could have had more but for a fine performance from the visiting goalie Joey O’Hagan.

The game was well won before Ellen Hynds coolly stroked home a 53rd minute penalty, a full 36 minutes after her team’s last score. That sparked a mini revival with three points following the goal, but Lavery added two late goals and set up another for Lauren O’Gorman to complete the scoring.

Ballyhegan : Orla McKeever, Claire Lavery, Jade McGee, Laura Williamson, Edith McCormick 0-1, Kate McCormack capt., Grace Ferguson, Ciara McKeever, Lisa Kerr 1-0, Lauren O’Gorman 2-1, Eve Lavery 4-2, 0-1 free, Aisling McGrane 1-1, Blathnaid Hendron 1-2, 0-1 free, Brenda McCormack 1-3, Clodagh McCann

Subs : Katie Keegan for A McGrane (50, inj.), Claire Mackle for C Lavery (57)

Con Magee’s Glenravel : Joey O’Hagan, Chloe McAuley, Emma Dillon, Caoimhe McKeown, Eimhear McAleenan, Colleen McNeill, Bronagh McKay, Eimear Higgins, Laoise McKenna 1-0, Dervla Donaghy, Kirsten Edgar, Caoimhe McAleenan, Ellen Hynds, 1-2, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free, Victoria Edgar 0-3, Kirsty Laverty 1-1

Subs : Ciara Gribben for E Dillon (34), Justine O’Hagan capt for D Donaghy (44), Siobhan McMullan for K Edgar (58), Lucille Carey for E McAleenan (60), Kiera O’Neill for E Hynds (60).

Referee : Dominic Kearns (Tullylish, Down)

Pics by Dylan McIlwaine