All Ireland Ladies Football Championship
Antrim 1-18 Longford 0-08
It would have taken a losing margin of 22 points for Antrim’s All Ireland Intermediate journey to come to an end at Cargin today and, whilst that scenario was never likely, none the less Emma Kelly’s side were focussed on getting the win from the encounter to top Group 4 and secure a home quarter final.
Longford had a difficult week with former boss Alan Mullen handing his resignation to the county board on Wednesday, just three days after falling to a 17-point loss to Westmeath. Longford Slashers clubman Sean Meenaghan took the reins of a team going through somewhat of a transition, seeing relegation from Division 3 and an underwhelming Leinster Championship campaign.
Grace Shannon opened the scoring for the visitors, but Lara Dahunsi almost instantly equalised for the home side with a fisted point and Orlaith Prenter added two shortly thereafter to take a lead they would never relinquish. Maria O’Neill was unlucky first with an effort for a point which struck the upright and then from a shot on goal which drew a fine save from Longford’s Riane McGrath between the sticks. Dahunsi added to her tally and Prenter another from a free to give Antrim a four-point lead.
Áine Tubridy also got on the scoresheet with a well taken point before Prenter fed Dahunsi who chipped over the bar from short range. Glenavy’s Grainne McLaughlin joined the list of scorers with a short range free in front of the sticks.
Antrim’s period of dominance, which yielded eight points, had a brief interruption when Maria O’Neill fouled Katie Crawford and Slashers’ Shannon stuck the resulting free over. The renaissance was short-lived, as a wonderful team move saw Dahunsi receive the ball in the midfield, lean back and drop it in over the blackspot. Another point for McLaughlin had Antrim on 10 points. Grace Shannon led for Longford and claimed a second point for the visitors but less than a minute later Prenter was doing what Prenter does best, selling a series of dummies and slotting the ball over the bar.
Shannon added another two from frees but Laura Agnew was right back in there for the Saffs on the stroke of half-time to see the home side lead 0-12 to 0-5.
McLaughlin opened the scoring in the second period to put Antrim 8 points in front from a free but Shannon, still her side’s only scorer, added another two to reduce the gap to six. A long period without a score was ended when Agnew got her second.
Maria O’Neill fed Dahunsi who was bearing down on goal when Longford’s Maria Kelleher put in a clumsy challenge and took the legs out from under the St Paul’s forward. After a long discussion with his umpires, referee Gavin Finnegan sin-binned Kelleher and signalled a penalty with Prenter obliging from the spot.
Maria O’Neill was unlucky again seconds later when she found the back of the net, but Down man Finnegan gave a free out. Longford had their own chance in front of goal a few minutes later but Antrim nudged the ball out for 45. Katie Crawford became Longford’s second scorer when Antrim had difficulty clearing their lines and Longford capitalised.
Dahunsi added her sixth score from 20 meters out after a well-worked team move and McLaughlin grabbed another, but Bronagh Devlin was unfortunate not to raise a green flag, chipping the ball over the crossbar from near-point-blank range.
Orla Corr, who put in a Player of the Match performance, forcing several key turnovers and making excellent passes throughout the encounter, sealed out an excellent game with a point from distance.
Saffron’s boss Kelly hailed the performance at Erin’s Own today but is firmly focussed on the quarter final saying “Great to get the win to top the group. The girls put in another good shift but now we need to prepare for the next round which is knock-out football. Hopefully we can get a big crowd out at Davitts to drive the girls on in two weeks time.”
With the win, Antrim have secured a home draw for the quarter final stage on 9th July, but will have to wait until Monday to find out their opponents.
Antrim scorers: O. Prenter 1-4, L Dahunsi 0-6, G McLaughlin 0-3, Á. Tubridy 0-1, O. Corr 0-1, L. Agnew 0-2, B. Devlin 0-1
Longford scorers: G. Shannon 0-7, K. Crawford 0-1.
