Lidl National Football League – Division Four
Antrim 3-09-3-11 Fermanagh
By Kevin Herron at the Dub
Antrim ladies snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as Fermanagh overturned an eight-point deficit at the break to leave the Dub with a 3-11-3-09 win over the Saffrons in this afternoon’s Lidl National Football League clash.
The hosts were magnificent in the opening half and held a 3-05-0-06 lead thanks to goals Maeve McCurdy, Cathy Carey and Niamh Enright.
Fermanagh didn’t roll over easily however and found a route back into the game through a goal from full-forward Joanne Donnan.
That sparked the visitors and gave them momentum and a second Donnan goal – followed by a point from substitute Aoife Flanaghan levelled proceedings at the death.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”150″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]Antrim substitute Aoife Taggart appeared to have secured the spoils – though eight minutes into injury-time Joanne Donnan rifled home her third goal of the half to spark scenes of jubilation amongst the visitors and leave Antrim dejected at the full-time whistle.
Over an hour earlier the hosts gave themselves a solid platform on which to build on as full-forward Maeve McCurdy rifled to the Fermanagh past goalkeeper Donna Owens.
But within eight minutes the game was all square, Joanne Donnan opened the Erne woman’s account for the afternoon with a well taken angled point.
Eimear Smyth conjured up a second and a converted free from Donnan levelled the scores at 1-00-0-03 with ten minutes on the clock.
Donnan registered her third of the half to edge Fermanagh ahead for the first-time – but back to back scores from corner-forward Grainne McLaughlin restored Antrim’s lead (1-02-0-04).
With nineteen minutes on the clock Antrim found their second goal of the afternoon – half-forward Cathy Carey outsmarted Owens from a free which dropped under the crossbar and into the net to make it 2-02-0-04.
Joanne Donnan replied with a fourth point of the half; though Fermanagh appeared to be in trouble as Niamh Enright crashed home a third goal to give Antrim a six-point lead with seven minutes to the break (3-02-0-05).
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”152″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]Fermanagh full-forward Donnan was almost singlehandedly carrying the fight to Antrim and replied yet again to bring her personal tally to five-points.
Anna McCann was called into action late in the half to smother a low drive from Eimear Smyth – though the hosts ended the half with the final two scores.
Cathy Carey pointed from a free and a further score from the hard grafting Lara Dahunsi ensured that the hosts were in command at the break – leading 3-05-0-06 against the breeze.
Antrim increased their lead upon the games resumption as Lara Dahunsi secured a second successive score from an acute angle.
Two converted frees from Eimear Smyth cut the gap before Antrim substitute Aoife Taggart responded from a similar scenario to make it an eight-point game once again, 3-07-0-08.
Fermanagh cut the deficit ten minutes into the second period as Joanne Donnan managed to find the net in a congested goal mouth to make it 3-07-1-08.
The Erne woman had the momentum and points from Eimear Smyth and Aisling O’Brien made it a three-point game with less than a quarter of an hour remaining.
Niamh Enright stretched Antrim’s lead with little under ten minutes to play and both sides battled through the elements with the game in the melting point.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”151″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]Fermanagh were dealt a blow as referee Kieran McKeever sin-binned midfielder Roisin O’Reilly – but on the 58th minute the visitors reduced arrears to the bare minimum as Joanne Donnan blasted past McCann to the net and made it 3-08-2-10.
With the bit between their teeth substitute Aoife Flanaghan showed composure and bravery under pressure to level the scores for just the second time in the game.
Fermanagh’s substitute goalkeeper Roisin Gleeson denied Cathy Carey from blasting to the net in time added on – the hosts would regain their slender advantage three minutes into time added on through a curling effort from Aoife Taggart.
It was a lead they held until the eighth minute of additional time when Kinawley’s Donnan turned on sixpence and guided her driven shot into the top corner of the net to spark scenes of joy amongst the Fermanagh faithful on the sideline.
Arguably a cruel blow it was ultimately one that the Saffrons failed to recover from and at the final whistle Fermanagh celebrated a 3-11-3-09 win that left the hosts deflated.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”153″ display=”pro_mosaic”]Antrim: A McCann, C Brown, C Stewart, N Killen, K Farren, J McCavana, S Tenyson, M Magee, A Tubridy, N Enright (1-01), C Carey (1-02, 1-01f), L Wallace, L Dahunsi (0-02), M McCurdy (1-00), G McLaughlin (0-02). Subs: A Taggart (0-02, 0-01f) for G McLaughlin (31 mins), N Webb for N Enright (54 mins), A Carleton for L Wallace (57 mins).
Fermanagh: D Owens, E Woods, E Murphy, M Flynn, E Cadden, C Murphy, A Maguire, R O’Reilly, A McGovern, B Bogue, E Smyth (0-04, 0-02f), D Maguire, A O’Brien (0-01), J Donnan (3-05, 0-01f). Subs: R Gleeson for D Owens (31 mins), L Maguire for B Bogue (31 mins), A Flanaghan (0-01) for D Maguire (53 mins).
Referee: Kieran McKeever (Armagh)