LGFA All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship semi-final
St Paul’s 1-7 St Nathy’s (Sligo) 1-6
PICS BY DAMIEN McCONVILLE
St Paul’s booked their place in the All Ireland Intermediate Club final when they came from four points down early in the second half to pip Sligo champions St Nathy’s in Sunday’s semi-final at Shaw’s Road. Level at 1-0 to 0-3 at the end of a low scoring opening half the Belfast girls were rocked back on their heels in the opening minutes of the second half when the visitors got in for a goal and a point. It was backs to the wall time now for the Antrim and Ulster champions but they showed great character and driven on by the great work rate of Lara Dahunsi and the scoring power of the McGuinness sisters Kirsty and Caitlin they found a way back to set up a final meeting with Naomh Ciaran of Offaly next Sunday in Parnell Park.
Scores were hard to come by in the opening half, despite the ideal playing conditions. Fionnguala Rocks came close in the early minutes but her goalbound shot was turned away by Noelle Gormley in the St Nathy’s goal. The Sligo girls came back with a point from half-back Hannah Walsh but St Paul’s found a reply minutes later when Kirsty McGuinness reacted quickest to palm the ball home after the Sligo keeper had saved an initial goal effort by Lara Dahunsi.
Unfortunately that was to the be St Paul’s only score of the opening half, despite a wealth of possession and thought St Nathy’s weren’t exactly prolific in the scoring stakes either they did manage points from Aine Gormley and Hannah Walsh to go in at the break on level terms.
When the visitors started the second half in dramatic fashion to forge four ahead with their quick goal and point St Paul’s faced an uphill task but with Dahunsi winning a lot of ball they slowly started to claw their way back into the game. They needed a score or two to win back the momentum and that came with two quick points from Mairead Cooper and Kirsty McGuinness and suddenly the gap was back to two. It was out to three again when Gormly pointed at the other end for St Nathy’s but two quick points from the McGuinness sisters Caitlin and Kirsty closed the gap to the minimum by the 50th minute.
Pairc Naomh Pól was buzzing when Kirsty McGuinness broke through to send over the equalising point and when Dahunsi placed Fionnghuala Rocks for the lead point the cheers rang out from a highly excited crowd. Dahunsi added what appeared to be the insurance point in injury time but the home fans had to endure another anxious moment when St Nathy’s were awarded a free close to the St Paul’s goal. A goal was the visitors only option at this stage and Ciara Gormley made a valiant effort to save the day for the Connacht girls her well struck shot was turned over the bar and St Paul’s final place was secure.
ST PAUL’S: A Healy; C Stewart, E Kelly, L O’Neill; M Hanna, C Brown, L Wallace; S McCann, A Tubridy; N Enright, C McGuinness (0-1), L Dahunsi (0-1); F Rocks (0-1), K McGuinness (1-3, 0-1 free), M Cooper (0-1). Subs: N Burns for A Tubridy (36), R Hemsworth for C Brown (57)
ST NATHY’S: N Gormley; J Creegan, A Doohan, E Flanagan; L Mullen, J O’Dowd, H Walsh (0-2); T Doddy, A Coleman; A Gormley (0-2), C Gorman (0-1 free), D McGrath; C Coleman (0-1), R Scanlon, K Coleman (1-0). Subs: A Gannon for L Mullen (50), U Cafferky for K Coleman (57)
REFEREE: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan)
