TG4 All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football semi-final
Antrim 1-05-3-15 Louth
From Kevin Herron at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones
Antrim’s hopes of reaching the TG4 All-Ireland junior
football final were ended on Saturday afternoon as Louth shot the Saffrons down
with a 3-15-1-05 win in the semi-final at Clones.
The wee County were in control of the contest and led
0-06-0-01 before Lara Dahunsi gave her side renewed hope with a goal before the
break.
But an injury to inspirational captain Saoirse Tennyson
early in the second-half was a major body-blow to Sean O’Kane’s side who only
managed two second-half points in comparison to a dominant Louth side that hit
3-05 with a brace from Kate Flood and another from substitute Lauren Boyle.
The Saffrons preparations for the game were less than ideal
as an injury to Mairead Cooper saw the St Pauls forward miss out and the
scheduling of the Antrim club Championship meant that Sean O’Kane’s charges
missed a week of training in the build-up to their biggest game of the season.
Louth were keen to avenge April’s semi-final League defeat
at the same venue and opened the scoring through a converted Kate Flood free.
Cathy Carey levelled proceedings from the same scenario but
the wee County were the more clinical of the sides in the opening exchanges.
Rebecca Carr restored her sides advantage with Louth’s
second free of the afternoon and Kate Flood doubled her account with a fine
point that curled over the bar.
A second converted free from Flood was followed by a double
from Niamh Rice as Antrim trailed 0-06-0-01 with 19 minutes on the clock.
Despite the Saffrons best attempts in attack – they were
unable to penetrate through a strong Louth defence and Aoife Russell was often
on-hand to turn defence to attack.
With little over ten minutes until the break Antrim were
gifted a lifeline. Louth keeper Una Pearson was slow to react to the loose ball
on the edge of the 6-yard box and Lara Dahunsi scooped the ball up and lofted
it high into the empty net to close the gap and make it 0-06-1-01.
Kate Flood replied with her third converted free of the
half, though back to back points from Dahunsi and a Cathy Carey closed the
deficit to the bare minimum.
Louth were to end the half strongly however and tagged on
three unanswered points before the break.
Susan Byrne, Eimear Byrne and a second point from Rebecca
Carr gave their side a 0-10-1-03 lead and but for an outstanding save from Anna
McCann to deny Carr – things could have been worse for the Saffrons.
Any hopes of an Antrim fightback were dealt a hammer-blow
early in the second-half as captain Saoirse Tennyson collapsed in agony with a
knee injury – the stretcher was required and manager Sean O’Kane was forced
into a reshuffle, introducing Caoimhe Stewart.
When play resumed again it was Cathy Carey who forged the
opening score of the half through a converted free, however it would be 17
minutes before the Saffrons next white flag was raised and in-between Louth
stretched their advantage.
Centre-half back Michelle McMahon popped the ball over in
response to Carey’s free and Rebecca Carr conjured up her third point of the
afternoon.
Louth then took a massive step towards victory with their
opening goal of the game – it came through a familiar face in Kate Flood and
gave the wee-County a 1-12-1-04 lead.
Aine Tubridy shot over the bar in response and it would
prove to be the Saffrons final score of a disappointing afternoon.
They did have the chance to register a consolation goal
after Lara Dahunsi was felled in the area, though Orla Corr was denied by Pearson
in the Louth goal.
Kate Flood top-scored on the afternoon with 2-06 – at the
end of her sides All-Ireland campaign Flood will travel Down Under to ply her
trade for Australian Football outfit Fremantle Freo and on the basis of her
performance Freo have signed an outstanding talent.
Flood confidently kicked two further placed balls and
secured her sides third goal before the whistle – the other strike coming from
Lauren Boyle, who was only fit to make an appearance from the bench but ended
the game with 1-01 to her name.
At the end of a one-sided second period it was Louth who
were able to celebrate reaching back to back junior finals and the Leinster
champions will take on Fermanagh in the September 15th decider at
Croke Park.
It was a disappointing end to what has been a promising
campaign for Sean O’Kane’s charges who just missed out on promotion and
clinched the Ulster Championship in the Tyrone natives first year in charge.
Antrim: A McCann, S Haughey, E Kelly, N Killen, M Hanna, C
Brown, K Farren, S Tennyson, A McFarland, L Dahunsi (1-01), O Corr, N Enright,
C Carey (0-03, 0-02f), E Magee, A Tubridy (0-01). Subs: C Stewart for S
Tennyson (36 mins); M McGourty for N Enright (49 mins); C Taggart for K Farren
(51 mins); A Taggart for O Corr (53 mins); N Webb for A McFarland (55 mins).
Louth: U Pearson, E Hand, S Quinn, S McLoughlin, C Nolan, M
McMahon (0-01), A Breen, E Boyle (0-01), A Byrne, R Carr (0-03, 0-01f), S Byrne
(0-01), A Russell, J McGuinness, K Flood (2-06, 0-05f), N Rice (0-02). Subs: D
Osborne for A Russell (30 mins); L Boyle (1-01) for J McGuiness (38 mins); S
Woods for A Byrne (43 mins); A Halligan for A Breen (54 mins); S Matthews for E
Hand (54 mins).
Referee: Siobhan Coyle (Donegal)
