Down Ladies Football finals
August 30, 2010Junior Final
Tullylish won the first possession of this entertaining Junior Championship Final & drew the first free from which Emma Draney scored the opening point. Tullylish dominated the early exchanges and their first goal arrived in the 4th minute when Cassie Halliday flicked the ball past the keeper after a neat lay-off by Emma Draney. Loughinisland responded immediately when Carol O'Hare found Brenda O'Hare in space and she kicked the Blues first score of the half. From the resultant kick-out Tullylish half-back Charlotte O'Neill gained possession and a high hopeful shot towards goal evaded Marie Savage's grasp in the L'Island goal for another 3-pointer. A minute later Emma Draney had the ball in the back of the net again after a good build up between Cassie Halliday, Kirsty McInarney and Ciara Hendron. Emma Draney was on target again from a 13 metre free and then added a great score from play and by the mid-way mark of the half the blues were in disarray and Tullylish were rampant. Carla Heaney was dominating around the middle of the park for Tullylish and her telling passes were perfectly despatched to a hungry forward line. Emma Draney was causing mayhem and when she found the back of the net and tagged on another point, it was becoming increasingly difficult to see a way back into this game. Karen McClements and Lisa Toman were doing their best to get the Island moving and when they had a goal disallowed for a square ball infringement in the 23rd minute it was clear that this may not be there day. Laureale Campbell was mopping up a lot of wayward ball in the Tullylish rearguard and her pass to Emma Draney who in turn slipped the ball to Cassie Halliday was sublime. The result was a rocket of a shot to the back of the Loughinisland net which gave the keeper no chance. The same player then pointed after a poor kick-out. Loughinisland continued to battle hard and they were rewarded with an excellent goal from full forward Lisa Toman as the half-time whistle approached. Cassie Halliday tagged on another minor score and Emma Draney finished out the half with a great effort in a move that travelled the entire length of the field to leave the half-time score Tullylish 4-07 Loughinisland 1-01. Loughinisland made a few changes at the interval and they started the 2nd period strongly with Karen McClements and Brenda O'Hare scoring in the first 5 minutes. Brenda O'Hare followed this up with a high speculative shot which Ciara McDermott in the Tullylish goal could only help on its way to the net. Karen McClements added another point and Loughinisland were starting to control the game. The Tullylish keeper came to her sides rescue with a fantastic point blank save in the 15th minute from Brenda O'Hare. Karen McClements and Bethan Carville saw shots also go agonisingly wide as we entered the last few minutes. Loughinisland despite their 2nd half dominance simply could not translate it into scores and the final point of the game and Tullylish's only score of the 2nd half fell to Emma Draney to leave the full-time score Tullylish 4-08 Loughinisland 2-04
Tullylish team captain Laura Finnigan stepped forward to receive the Junior Cup from County Chairman Frank McMullan much to the delight of her team and supporters. The player of the final was awarded to Laureale Campbell who had an outstanding game in the Tullylish defence
Tullylish Team
Ciara McDermott, Clare McCartan, Ciara Gilroy, Tara Murnin, Laureale Campbell, Laura Finnigan (c), Charllotte O'Neill (1-00), Carla Heaney, Louise O Hare, Mary Ellen O'Hare, Cassie Halliday (2-02), Kirsty McInarney, Moya McKiverigan, Emma Draney (1-06), Ciara Hendron. Subs Used Leanne McKiverigan. Unused Niamh McDermott, Lauren Donnelly, Charelion McKerr, Sharon Chambers, Leanne McKiverigan
Loughinisland Team
Marie Savage, Briege Cassidy, Maureen Brennan, Edel Trainor, Alana McCaffrey, Natalie Savage, Michelle McClements, Gemma Gibney (c), Laura Mason, Laura McClements, Karen McClements (0-02), Brenda O'Hare (1-02), Brenda Valentine, Lisa Toman (1-00), Carol O'Hare. Subs Used Ciara Cochrane, Helen Rice, Libby Carville, Rebecca McKelvey, Bethan Carville. Unused Michaela Flynn, Orla Tumelty, Bronagh Murray, Ashleen Gallagher
Referee Dominic Kearns (Clann na Banna)
Intermediate Final
Shamrocks and Ballymartin delivered up an exciting final which was full of twists and turns. Ballymartin exerted the early pressure with the first shot of the game falling to the whites Laura Sloan who saw her effort drift narrowly wide. Niamh Rafferty opened the Shamrocks account in the 3rd minute after a neat lay-off by Orla Fegan. Sinead Fegan followed this up with another point after a nice build-up involving Eimear Kane. Jessica Collins then replied with Ballymartin's first point in the next attack. Caroline O'Neill added another shortly after to level the game at 2 apiece with 10 minutes on the clock. Orla Fegan then jinked her way through the white's rearguard to add on another point. The warning signs were there and Ballymartin had a lucky escape when a shot by Ashleigh Dinsmore crashed off the crossbar. The same player added a point shortly after and in the next attack, Jolene O'Hare goaled after a good pass from Sinead Fegan. A minute later centre-half back Orla Fegan kicked over a point after a mazy 45m run to put some daylight between the sides. The Ballymartin midfield started to exert some pressure which yielded a point from Jessica Collins after a good run by Lauren Cunningham. Shamrocks responded with a point from Orla Murphy after a good pass from Mary Adegbamyie. Orla Fegan and Mary Adegbamyie fired over points for Shamrocks as the half-time interval approached. In the next attack Lauren Cunningham goaled with a great shot that the keeper could only parry into the net after a quick free from Caroline O'Neill to give the white's a lifeline. Michele Cousins pointed a 30m free to further reduce the deficit but it was Shamrocks who had the last score of the half from Niamh McGuinness to leave the half-time score Shamrocks 1-09 Ballymartin 1-04.
Ballymartin started the 2nd half strongly with Caroline O'Neill and Aine O'Hare pointing. Shamrocks responded with scores from Mary Adegbamyie and Orla Murphy. Aine O'Hare pointed again from a tight angle after good work from Rebecca Cunningham to leave 5 in it. The play ebbed and flowed from end to end and in the 18th minute Ballymartin were unfortunate when a Caroline O'Neill pile driver whizzed narrowly past the post. Ashleigh Dinsmore responded with a fine point on the turn for Shamrocks which was followed up with a like score from Olra Fegan. With 2 mins on the official clock Caroline O'Neill was upended in the large rectangle and referee Gerard Brannigan had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. After a short interval while a Shamrocks player received treatment Ballymartin midfielder Aine O'Hare stepped up and executed a rasping shot which looked to be heading to the top right hand corner only for it to bounce off the post and back into play. The follow up shot flew agonisingly wide and with it Ballymartin's hopes of turning this game around. An unfortunate injury to Ballymartin's Lauren Cunningham delayed the inevitable and when play restarted Orla Fegan tagged on 2 further points for Shamrocks in injury time to leave the full-time score Shamrocks 1-15 Ballymartin 1-07
Ballymartin Team
Sinead Rooney, Orla Cunningham, Carol Rafferty, Katrina Gerstenbrand, Sinead Brannigan, Rebecca Cunningham, Andrea Annett (c), Ciara McGreevy, Aine O'Hare (0-02), Caroline O'Neill (0-02), Michele Cousins (0-01), Laura Sloan, Michaela Cunningham, Lauren Cunningham (1-00), Jessica Collins (0-02). Subs Used Ciara Cunningham, Jacqueline O'Neill. Unused Joanne Poland , Danielle Newell, Mary Jane Smyth, Sarah Colgan, Eleanora Cunningham, Roma Cunningham
Shamrocks Team
Niamh O'Riordan, Cathy McArdle, Michaela Larkin, Michele Burns, Ciara Fegan, Sinead Fegan (0-02), Elizabeth Carr, Eimear Kane, Orla Murphy (0-02), Mary Adegbamiye (0-02), Niamh McGuinness (0-01), Orla Fegan (0-05), Jolene O'Hare (1-00), Niamh Rafferty (0-01), Ashleigh Dinsmore (0-02) Subs Used Maeve McParland, Sinead Lennon
Unused Aine Cunningham, Cathy Cunningham, Olivia McEvoy, Aishlin Dooley, Annemarie Kane
Referee Gerard Brannigan (St. Johns)
Senior Final
Bredagh and Castlewellan met in the final of the Senior Championship and though both sides were under strength they served up an entertaining match for their respective supporters. Bredagh got the perfect start when Caroline Kelly pointed in the first minute. Castlewellan surprisingly took the lead 2 minutes later when Aine Gosling pointed and this was swiftly followed by an Emma Owens goal after good work by Saoirse O'Kane including a goalmouth scramble. Caroline Kelly settled the nerves with 2 further points along with a Claire Byrne effort to level the match and we had still only played 6 minutes. Castlewellan were living off scraps up front but Claire Drummy found herself in on goal and she made no mistake with a sublime effort to push the Town back in front. Bredagh responded with points from Naoime McMullen, Emma Mulhern and Aoife McDonald to once again level proceedings. Bredagh were then rewarded with a soft goal by Caroline Kelly after a mistake by the Town keeper and Aoife McDonald kicked over a fine point to further widen the gap. Castlewellan's Emma Owens tapped over a 13m free after a foul on Catherine Keown but this was quickly followed by a point from Cathy Conway. Castlewellan always looked dangerous in front of goal and they got the rub of the green when Aoife Keown found the back of the net with a rasping shot but as before Bredagh responded magnificently with a point from Claire Byrne and a goal by Emma Mulhern after the Town keeper spilled the ball to reach the short whistle 2-11 to 3-02 in front.
Bredagh started the 2nd period as they finished the first with a point from Polly Moane and Castlewellan once again responded with a goal when Emma Owens again rattled the back of the Bredagh net. Bredagh's Claire Byrne and Caroline Kelly kicked points either side of a Saoirse O'kane effort. Kelly O'Higgins then got in on the act after 15 minutes with a fine score for the Town and this also turned out to be their last score of the game. Eleanor Nixon in the Town defence repelled attack after attack with some no nonsense defending which kept her side in it, However Bredagh finished with a flurry with Caroline Kelly knocking in a goal and 2 points in the final 5 minutes to leave the final score Bredagh 3-16 Castlewellan 4-04
Bredagh made it 2 in a row with this win and there were great celebrations when team captain Kerrie O'Neill received the cup from County Chairman Frank McMullan.
Player of the match went to Naoime McMullen who had an excellent game throughout.
Bredagh Panel
Eimear Murtagh, Ashlin McCloskey, Grainne Hughes, Emma Mulhern (1-01), Petia McAllister, Naoime McMullen (0-01), Kerrie O'Neill (c), Cassie Moane (0-01), Aoife McDonald (0-02), Ciara Maguire, Kathy Conway (0-01), Catherine Murphy, Caroline Kelly (2-06) Polly Moane (0-01), Claire Byrne (0-03), Laura Willighan, Marian Corry, Katie O'Rourke, Katie Campbell, Jamie Willighan, Louise McQuaid, Victoria Mallot, Enya McCafferty, Niamh McCafferty, Hannah Murray, Claire Timoney
Castlewellan Panel
Lissa Owens, Nina Cairns, Eleanor Nixon, Leanne Owens, Aisling Crilly, Aine Keown (c), Kathleen McCartan, Mairead Hardy, Karen McMullan, Kelly O'Higgins (0-01), Emma Owens (2-01), Aine Gosling (0-01), Noeleen O'Higgins, Catherine Keown, Saoirse O'Kane (0-01), Claire Drummy (1-00), Lisa Morgan, Caoimhe Kelly, Ciara Hardy, Aine Magorrian, Shannon Rice, Louise McCabe, Aoife Keown (1-00), Ciara Gibson, Deborah Keown, Paula Cleland, Andrea McClean, Saoirse Steele, Sarah McArdle
Referee Eugene O'Hare (Dromara) Tweet
