LGFA Ladies JFC
St. John’s 1-5 Carryduff 1-9
St. John’s made their exit from the Ulster LGFA Junior Championship when they fell to a well organised, Maura Morgan inspired Carryduffy at Corrigan Park on Sunday.
The Johnnies enjoyed plenty of possession over the hour but found it difficult to break down a strong Carryduff defence that dealt well with most of what the Corrigan Park side could throw at them.
Lusine Adams pointed the Whiterock Road side into an early lead before Maura Morgan replied from a 45th minute free to level the contest.
The visitors soon settled into an early rhythm Katie Foy kicked them into the lead with a point in the 9th minute and further points from the impressive Morgan and Cara Donnelly had them 0-4 to 0-1 ahead by the 14th minute.
St. John’s pushed hard to get back into contention but Katie Foy, Sian O’Neill and Ashling Wojcieszak in the Carryduff defence were equal to everything that came their way.
Orla Corr raised St. John’s second white flag of the afternoon from a free in the 17th minute but the home side were grateful to their keeper, Sinead McAleavey who pulled off a good save to deny Cara Donnelly who looked in for the game’s opening goal.
Undeterred, the visitors continued to push forward and Maura Morgan added a point from a free before Cara Donnelly split the uprights from play to move her side four ahead after 21 minutes.
Donnelly’s point would prove to be the final score of the half but St. John’s were dealt a blow just before the break when Niamh Hamill limped out of the contest injured to be replaced by Hannah McAllister.
The Corrigan Park side needed a good start to the second half if they were to get themselves into the game but in the event it was Maura Morgan who extended the Carrduff lead from a free in the third minute.
Back came St. John’s with Lusine Adams splitting the posts in the 6th and 8th minutes to close the gap to three and suddenly there was a glimmer of hope for the girls in blue but that hope was quickly extinguished.
A good move from the resulting kick-out saw the Down champions move the ball smartly to the other end of the field and Ciara McLornan finished to the net to move her side six ahead.
St. John’s were still giving it everything and were enjoying a bit of success themselves as Orla Corr pointed in the 14th minute before Cora Magee brought the biggest cheer of the day from the home support when she fired past Caoimhe Lavery in the ‘Duff’ goals.
Suddenly there was only two points between the sides with 12 minutes still remaining but once again the visitors defence shut up shop as they turned everything that St. John’s could throw at them.
They replied with a couple of points themselves through Cara Donnelly in the 21st minute and another from goal scorer McLornan in injury time to ease home winners by four points and book a place in the semi-final.
