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 45^th 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 9^th minute and further points from the impressive Morgan and Cara Donnelly had them 0-4 to 0-1 ahead by the 14^th 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 17^th 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 6^th and 8^th 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 14^th 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.

KENNEDY CENTRE JFC Final

St. John’s 5-12 Rossa 2-4

Goals from Cora Magee in the 11^th and 29^th minute of the first half paved the way for a St. John’s victory over Rossa in this Kennedy Centre Junior Football Championship final at Musgrave Park.

The Johnnies ladies held the upper hand for most of the game as Magee’s goal and points from Debbie Boyd 0-2 and Niamh Hamill in reply to one from Meadbh Gallagher had them 1-2 to 0-1 ahead after 11 minutes.

St. John’s hit a further three on the bounce through Lusine Adams, Debbie Boyd and Marie Mulholland before Aoife McKenna raised the Rossa‘s second white flag with 24 minutes gone.

Magee’s second goal in the 29^th minute and a late Orla Corr point had the Whiterock girls in a strong position at half time when they led 2-7 to 0-2 at the half way stage.

Cora Magee, who had been to the fore throughout the opening half, got the ball rolling in the second half with a point in the third minute and further points from Marie Mulholland and Magee again had St. John’s 14 ahead by the 9^th minute.

Aoife McKenna kicked Rossa’s opening point at the end of the third quarter and when Meabh Gallagher followed immediately with a goal there was just a glimmer of light for the Shaw’s Road side.

That light was quickly extinguished however as St. John’s came roaring back with a Debbie Boyd point and Magee followed with her fourth goal of the game and Orla Corr added another point before Meadbh Laverty struck with their fifth goal with three minutes remaining.

Rossa kept going to the better end and a late goal from Roise Matthews put a better look on the final scoreline with the superb Magee bringing her personal tally to 4-2 with the game’s final score.

Kennedy Centre LGFA JFC

All Saints 1-9 St. John’s 2-10

St. Johns advanced to the semi-final of the Kennedy Centre JFC with a win over All Saints in Ballymena on Friday night. When these sides met in the league earlier in the season the Johnnies lades won convincingly and they went into this championship game as firm favourites.

It didn’t quite work out that way however and the Ballymena girls made the visitors fight for their victory with the sides level at 0-5 apiece at half time.

The loss of their mid-fielder Anna Kearney to a Yellow card in the second half proved a blow that the home side never recovered from and it was St. John’s who ran out deserving winners in the end.

All Saints set up with a good game plan that helped to frustrate the St Johns forwards in the first half. Having lost heavily to their opponents earlier in the league campaign All Saints set about their task with great determination. St Johns opened the scoring but were being forced to shoot from distance and difficult angles and on occasions get turned over by the Saints defence. All Saints managed to get on the scoreboard themselves with good points from Anna OKane, Roisin Ward and Sianeese Maybin.

HT 0-5 TO 0-5

St Johns flew out of the traps in the 2nd half with the home side guilty of some poor handling errors as they team they built up a 6 point lead. 

However a smartly taken goal by 2nd half substitute Laura McAleese got All Saints back in the game and when St Johns lost midfielder Orla Mallon to a yellow card and sin bin it looked like the home side could be on for a shock. However a Yellow Card for influential midfielder Anna Kearney meant St Johns were able to see out the game comfortably and move forward to the semi-finals. 

Siantelle Boyd, Siobhan McGurk, Carla Hamill, Olivia Cardwell, Niamh Hamill and Debbie Boyd impressed in an excellent St. John’s side while Katie Connolly, Anna Kearney, Anna O’Kane, Roisin Ward and Sianeese Maybin were best in a battling All Saints side.

St. John’s now meet Sarsfields, who defeated Ardoyne at Fennell Park in their quarter-final while the second semi-final sees Rossa travel to Hannastown to take on Lamh Dhearg

All Saints Scorers: Anna O’Kane 0-4, Sianeese Maybin 0-3, Roisin Ward 0-2, Laura McAleese 1-0

KENNEDY CENTRE LGFA JFC

Lamh Dhearg 3-12 Moneyglass 2-8

Lamh Dhearg recorded a good win over St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass in what turned into the battle of the opposite number 11’s in this Kennedy Centre LGFA Junior Football Championship meeting at Hannastown at the weekend.

Moneyglass youngster, Leah Stewart finished the game as her sides top scorer with 0-6 on the day but it was her opposite number 11, Robyn Murray who would turn the game on its head, early in the second half to send her side to victory.

The St. Ergnat’s ladies second string looked on their way to victory when they led by 1-7 to 1-3 at the break but the Hannastown girls came back strongly in the second half to claim the victory.

It was Lamh Dhearg who were first on the score card as Isla Annett gave them a great start with a goal in the 5^th minute.

Leah Stewart replied with a point for St. Ergnat’s but points from Annett and Ciara Larkin had the Hannastown girls four in front with 12 minutes gone.

Molly Gribbon raised St. Ergnat’s second white flag of the evening in the 18^th minute as the visitor’s stuggled to turn possession into score but once again Lamh Dhearg replied and Robyn Murray restored their four point advantage.

It would be their final score of the half however as St. Ergnat’s began to get it together and a Megan Carey goal in the 21^st minute fired them into life.

They finished the half in impressive style with Danielle Connolly driving tghem on from mid-field and points from Molly Gribbon and four from the excellent Leah Stewart had her side four ahead at the short whistle and looking good.

It had been all Moneyglass in the closing stages of the opening half with number 11 Stewart the star of the show but on the restart it was Lamh Dhearg’s number 11, Robyn Murray who took on the staring mantle.

The home side came flying out of the starting blocks as the new half got under way with Murray pointing in the opening minute before firing to the Moneyglass net with two minutes gone to level the contest.

The visitors looked shocked as Robyn Murray continued to punch holes in their defence and the Hannastown number 11 added a further goal and a point by the fourth minute to bring her personal tally to 2-3 for the evening and put her side in control.

Inspired by Murray’s contribution, Lamh Dhearg were now playing with great confidence and Amelie Annett added a point and two more from Isla Annett had the home side 6 in front by the 39^th minute.

Lauren Smith extended that lead to seven before Megan Carey fired to the net for Moneyglass’ first score for 15 minutes to leave four between the sides with 12 minutes remaining.

Carey’s goal failed to gain the necessary response from her colleagues however and it was Lamh Dhearg who finished the half as they had started with Isla Annett, Lauren Smith, Aoibheann Lrkin and the superb Robyn Murray adding points and the visitor’s solitary reply coming from Leah Stewart.

Lamh Dhearg: 1 Shannon Mccann, 2 Niamh Quinn, 3 Sinead McCloskey, 4 Emer McGarry, 5 Sara Kennedy, 6 Niamh Webb, 7 Tiarnach Fagan, 8 Aoibheann Larkin, 9 Rachael Mulholland, 10 Orlaith Webb, 11 Robyn Murray, 12 Isla Annett. 13 Lauren Smith, 14 Ciara Larkin, 15 Meabh Diamond, 16 Derbhla McAufield, 17 Amelia Annett

Moneyglass: 1 Marie Dobbin, 2 Orla Rooney, 3 Katie Scullin, 4 Cailin Murphy, 5 Mia McLarnon, 6 Katie McCloskey, 7 Annie Griffin, 8 Danielle Connolly, 9 Megan McGlinchey, 10 Caoimhe McErlain, 11 Leah Stewart, 12 Beverly Graffin, 13 Paricia Morris, 14 Michelle Mullin, 15 Molly Gribbon, Megan Carey

Referee: Sean Curran