AIB Ulster LGFA Junior Club Q/Final

Lámh Dhearg 1-6 Cumann Pheadair Naofa 0-10

Despite a spirited performance, Lamh Dhearg made their exit from the Ulster Junior Club Championship when they lost by the minimum to a good Cumann Pheadair Naofa in Hannastown on Saturday.

It was a case of, so close yet so far in a game that was in the balance right up to the final whistle with Enya Quinn’s late point for the Down champions clinching a place in the semi-finals where they will meet Monaghan champions Aughnamullen next weekend.

In a very tight, hard fought contest, St. Peter’s edged the early exchanges with some fine flowing football and looked the more impressive of the two sides. With never more than the bare minimum between them the hosts soon got to grips with the game and took a slender one point lead into the break thanks to five scores from Robin Murray, who was at the heart of everything good that the Antrim champions could produce in a good first 30 minutes.

Murray kicked five of Lámh Dhearg’s six first half points, whilst the Down Champions scores came from Enya Quinn, Anna Craven & Alicia Seoin.

The Blues had an appeal for a penalty waved away just before the half, but would have been pleased to be only one behind having played into the wind in the first half.

Disaster looked to have struck for the visitors early in the second when Emma Russell received a yellow card and whilst she was sitting out her 10 minutes in the sin-bin Lamh Dhearg seized an opportunity to pull away from their doggedly determined opponents, when a high ball into the square from a Murray free shortly after found the net to establish a four point lead.

The Lamh’s looked in a strong position at this stage but that proved to be their final score as Warrenpoint slowly, but surely, crept level with five unanswered points, the impressive Enya Quinn pointing the equaliser with six minutes to play before firing over the winner, three minutes later for a first ever Ulster semi-final appearance for the seaside town.

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Antrim LGFA Junior Football Championship final

Lámh Dhearg 1-18 O’Donovan Rossa 0-3

Lamh Dhearg proved too strong for Rossa in this LGFA Junior Championship final in Glenavy on Saturday. The Shaw’s Road girls hung in during the opening half but the Hannastown side found another gear after the break to win comfortably.

Despite playing into the gale force wind in the opening half Lamh Dhearg led by a goal at the interval and even at this stage it was hard to visualise anything other than a win for the Red Hands.

The excellent Aoife Fitzsimmons was the architect in chief for a smooth moving Lamh Dhearg machine and would finish the game with 0-6 to her name as she gave an exhibition of scoring.

Playing into a strong wind, the Hannahstown side maintained possession and worked the ball patiently before taking their scores.

Robyn Murray got the Hannastown side off the mark before Rossa hit back immediately with Elmer Matthews splitting the posts, but they were hit on the counter in the sixth minute as Ráichéal Mullholland’s shot looked to be drifting wide but, Aoibhean Larkin was lurking unmarked and finished from close range.

 Sophie Ball blocked an Isla Annett effort as Lamh Dhearg threatened again and Rossa began to grow into it, yet the wind at their backs wasn’t a huge help at times with kick passes carrying well beyond their target.

They did have their chances as Meadhbh Gallagher intercepted an Orlaith Webb kick-out but shot straight at the Lámh Dhearg goalkeeper and late in the half, Aoife McKenna found herself one-on-one but again Webb was up to the task as her team took a 1-2 to 0-2 lead into the half.

With the wind now at their backs Lamh Dhearg began to exert control with Amelie Annett marking her arrival just two minutes after the break, scoring with her first touch.

The teenager would finish with seven in all as Aoife Fitzsimmons showed her class with half a dozen of her own, while Robyn Murray chipped in with another two and even midfielder Ráichéal Mulholland got in on the act with a well-taken score.

Rossa never gave up but came up against a side who were better all round on the day and a late pointed free by Aoife McKenna was all they had to show for their second-half efforts as Lámh Dhearg claimed the title in fine style.

LÁMH DHEARG: O Webb; C Hayes, S McCloskey, E McGarry; N Quinn, N Webb, T Fegan; R Mulholland (0-1), C Larkin; A Larkin (1-0), R Murray (0-4, 1f), I Annett; M Diamond, C Doherty, M Martin.

Subs: A Annett (0-7) for C Doherty (HT), A Fitzsimmons (0-6) for M Martin (HT), L Smyth for M Diamond (42), S Kennedy for T Fegan (55), M Megraw for E McGarry (57), D McAufield for S McCloskey (blood-sub, 60+2-FT).

ROSSA: E Rea; S Bell, S Erskine, S Armstrong; E Taylor, G Holbrook, E Rogan; E Doyle, K Ferran; A Copeland, E Matthews (0-1), R Tubridy; M Gallagher, A McKenna (0-2f), Roise Matthews.

Subs: Riona Matthews for M Gallagher (30+1), G Ward for E Rogan (45), B Rogan for S Bell (47), O Little for A Copeland (48), R McCourt for E Trainor (48), S Brown for Roise Matthews (48), E Early for G Holbrook (57), G White-Davey for R Tubridy (57).

REFEREE: Richie Leahy (Moneyglass)

LGFA Division 3

Tir na nOg 0-4 Cargin 3-15

Erin’s Own, Cargin proved too strong for an under strength Tir na nOg On Sunday evening at Whitehill. Desite the end result we had a great spectacle of a game against the top two in Division 3 after the league split.

There had been little between these sides in their previous meetings but on this occasion the home side were without some important players and it told from early in the game. With a very strong wind benefiting Cargin in the first half. They took advantage and used their support play and possession to the maximum extent with great scores from Orlaith Johnston, Martina Gribbin, Niamh Devine, Grace O’Boyle and Roisin Quinn to lead 1-11 to 0-1 at half time.

Tir na  nOg fought hard in the second half, with the wind at their backs to get back into contention with Eimear McCloskey, Shannon McNeilly and Ellen Magee full of running and broke through the Cargin defence on a number of occasions but were unlucky to not get more scores. With superb performances from Orlaith Johnston, Catherine Mc Fadden and Roisin Quinn, Cargin ran out the winners. 

This win has put Cargin at the top of the Division 3 league with two games remaining.

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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.