Ladies LGFA
Fermanagh 2-11 Antrim 2-8
Antrim suffered a surprise defeat to a new look Fermanagh side in horrendous conditions in Irvinstown on Sunday. The game had been switched to the Bawnacre 3G pitch after the original venue was deemed unplayable and it is a credit to both sides for the fare served up in the unwelcome elements.
Antrim started their campaign last week with a good win and were expected to add Fermanagh’s scalp after the Erne girls had lost to Leitrim in their opening outing but things didn’t quite go to plan.
The swirling wind made scoring difficult, but Fermanagh were first out of the starting traps and raced into 0-3 to 0-1 lead by the 20th minute, aided by the elements. Antrim seemed to have weathered the early storm and debutant, Michelle Magee, fired to the roof of the net having snapped up a quickly taken Cathy Carey free.
Fermanagh though responded well, rattling over five points in the run up to half time, Antrim just adding a single Carey pointed free to leave the visitors trailing 0-8 to 1-2 at the interval.
With the elements now in their favour Antrim began to take advantage on the restart and two Cathy Carey points followed by an Aine Devlin goal, where she lobbed the goalkeeper from distance, saw them hit the front with only four minutes of the new half gone.
Fermanagh found a response however and replied with back-to-back Eimear Smyth goals, the first from the penalty spot to lead 2-9 to 2-4 by the three quarters stage.
Antrim pushed hard in the closing stages but a well organised Fermanagh defence stood tall as conditions deteriorated to the extent that the referee called a two minutes halt as blinding hailstones lashed down.
The Antrim woes were compounded when they lost midfielder, Aine Tubridy to a Red Card late in the game and it was Fermanagh who pushed on to take the points.
Antrim can have few complaints about the result. They were missing midfielder Lara Dahunsi and lost centre half back, Saoirse Tennyson to injury after only nine minutes but never really managed to stamp effective authority on the game at any stage.
Tubridy had been one of their better performers along with Michelle Magee, Cathy Carey and Maeve Mulholland.
Antrim; Anna McCann; Emma Louise McAvearey, AislinMcParland, Niamh McIntosh; Duana Coleman, Saoirse Tennyson, Maeve Mulholland; Cathy Carey, (0-5, 2f), AineTubridy; Grainne McLaughlin (0-1f), Aine Devlin (1-0), Molly Woulahan; Claire Emerson, Michelle Magee (1-1), Orlaith Prenter. Subs; Sarah O’Neill for S. Tennyson (inj.) 9m; Maria O’Neill for M. Woulahan HT; Julie Curran for A. McCann HT; Ellie Murphy (0-1) for G. McLaughlin 38m; Maria McKenna for E. L. McAvearey 48m; Caitlin Teggartfor O. Prenter 48m; Eimear Matthews for C. Emerson 56m. Red card; A. Tubridy 60 + 2m.
Fermanagh; Megan Maguire; Eimear Keenan, Andrea Gordon, Sarah McCarville; Sarah-Jane Jones, Brenda Bannon, Shannan McQuade; Molly McGloin, Blaithin Bogue (0-3); Niamh McManus, Cadhla Bogue, Sarah Britton; CliodhnaMcElroy (0-2), Eimear Smyth (2-5, pen, 4f), Elaine Maguire. Subs; Edel Woods for N. McManus HT; Leanne Murray for E. Maguire 50m.
Referee; Anthony Marron (Monaghan).
