TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship quarter-final:
Armagh 2-13 Donegal 2-11
ARMAGH are the last Ulster team standing in this year’s TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship after a tense two-point victory over Ulster champions Donegal in Saturday’s quarter-final at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones.
The victory set up a semi-final meeting on Saturday week with Dublin, who saw off Monaghan in the second game of a double-header at the same venue.
The Orchard county only led for the first time with six minutes to go, having battled back from being four points and then three points down in the second half. The sides were level no less than five times, three of those in a second half where Donegal could just not shake off the opposition and when Armagh finally leveled matters for the last time, it was they who found the extra gear and another couple of points to seal the victory.
Armagh manager James Daly heaped praise on his team’s performance: “That was as satisfying a win as we’ve had because it was tough the whole way through, one of the toughest games we’ve ever encountered,” he said.
“There was so much character shown right across the team, from Caoimhe Morgan and Mairéad Tennyson, right through to the younger girls up front. It was put up to us today big-time by a very good, very disciplined Donegal team, who are Ulster champions, and we responded.”
Donegal began very brightly in the first half and had a 0-5 to 0-2 lead inside the first quarter, with McLaughlin scoring three points, but Armagh found their feet as Kelly Mallon, Aoife Lennon and Cloadagh McCambridge all pointed to bring them level. After Yvonne McMonagle and Mackin exchanged points, the impressive McMonagle struck for her first goal, profiting from McLaughlin’s excellent handpass to finish smartly for a 1-6 to 0-6 lead. Aoife McDonnell then put Davy McLaughlin’s side four ahead, but O’Hanlon and Lennon ensured Armagh trailed by just two, 1-7 to 0-8, at half-time.
Donegal again pushed four clear early in the second period, but Lennon netted for an Armagh goal, McCoy and Sarah Marley the architects, on 36 minutes. An incredible McMonagle point was Donegal’s response, but efforts of an equal quality from Mallon and Lennon tied matters at 1-10 each again.
McMonagle’s second goal, from McDonnell’s pass, looked to have swung the momentum Donegal’s way again, but an immediate response was summoned in the form of an equalising goal from captain Caroline O’Hanlon after Lennon and McCoy combined well. Geraldine McLaughline did point Donegal in front again in the 46th minute, but it was to be their final score.
McMonagle had a chance to put Donegal four ahead with what would have been a hat-trick goal, only for Katie Daly to save brilliantly. Buoyed by that let-off, Armagh had late points from Fionnuala McKenna, O’Hanlon and Aimee Mackin to repeat their National League Division Two final win over the same opposition and progress to the last four.
Donegal manager McLaughlin was obviously disappointed at full-time and felt they switched off for a couple of minutes after scoring each goal, which let Armagh back in again.
“I feel it is one that we did let go,” he said.
“One thing we seem to be guilty of all year is, when we get a goal, we seem to switch off for that minute, 90 seconds immediately afterwards, and on both occasions today we allowed them to go back up and equalise or certainly get a goal straight away again and you can’t do that at this level.”
MATCH STATS
Armagh: K Daly; M Tennyson, C Morgan, N Marley; S Reel, S McCleary, C McCambridge (0-1); C O’Hanlon (1-2, 0-2f), F McKenna (0-1); A McCoy, K Mallon (0-3, 0-2f), L McConville; S Marley, A Lennon (1-3), A Mackin (0-3); Subs: M Sheridan for McCambridge (26), C Malone for McConville (41), M McGuinness for Sheridan (46).
Donegal: L Gallagher; T Doherty, E Gallagher, N McLaughlin; T McCafferty, K Keeney, C Hegarty; G Houston, K Herron (0-1); Y McMonagle 2-3, N Hegarty (0-1), N McLaughlin (0-1); G McLaughlin 0-4 (0-1f), A Barrett, A McDonnell (0-1); Subs: R Boyle for McCafferty (28), E McCrory for Barrett (38), R McCafferty for Houston (41), K Guthrie for Boyle (54).
Referee: S Mulvihill (Kerry).
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship quarter-final: Dublin 1-13 Monaghan 0-13
MONAGHAN were left to rue missed chances as Dublin ended their hopes of making it an all-Ulster All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final with Armagh.
The Ulster side hit 14 wides compared to just three from Dublin in their quarter-final clash in Clones, which is turning out not to be such a happy hunting ground for the home side. It has been a frustrating couple of seasons now for Monaghan, who have lost the last two provincial finals and have bowed out at the quarter-final stage for the second consecutive year as their quest for Brendan Martin Cup honours extends to a 19th season.
Dublin led by six points at half-time, 1-7 to 0-4, but Monaghan had reduced that gap to just two by the 43rd minute, hitting the first four points of the second half. However, the Jackies pulled away again to increase their lead to six with four of their own. Despite another late rally from Monaghan with four on the trot to leave it 1-12 to 0-13 and the gap back to just two with minutes to go, the goal they needed did not come and time ran out to round off a disappointing day at the office. Their immediate concern will lie with Allstar Caoimhe Mohan, who was stretchered off in the latter stages of the first half after taking a heavy knock to the head.
Monaghan selector Pat Ring acknowledged the high number of wides proved costly as they bowed out: “We hit so many wides it was frightening,” he said.
“We couldn’t get close enough to get scoring chances in the first half. We pushed on them more in the second half and it took Dublin 10 or 12 minutes to score in the second half and we got it back to two.
“We only got the one goal chance, but we had enough chances from points. The wide count is probably up on 14, 15, 16 and quite a few of them close to goal, particularly in the second half.”
Monaghan struggled early on to create opportunities and Dublin led 0-4 to no score at the end of the first quarter. They did have one great goal chance, which saw Ciara Trant deny Cora Courtney with a good save, but it took them 16 minutes to register their first score, a long range effort from Cathriona McConnell. The remainder of the half was fairly evenly shared on the scoreboard, Carla Rowe’s 26th minute goal putting Gregory McGonigle’s side in the driving seat, 1-7 to 0-4.
Points from Fiona Lafferty, Cora Courtney, McConnell (free) and Ellen McCarron saw Dublin’s lead reduced to two points, but they settled again with points from Amy Connolly, Lyndsey Davey, Niamh McEvoy and Hannah Noonan to give themselves breathing space once more.
To their credit, Monaghan never gave in and Caitríona McConnell and Cora Courtney helped to bring them back to within two again as the game entered its final minute. Dublin won the resultant kickout, though, with the ball worked to inspirational captain Davey, whose perfect pass allowed Niamh Collins to get the clinching score.
MATCH STATS
Dublin: C Trant; O Carey, M Ní Scanaill, F Hudson; C Barrett, S Finnegan, S Furlong; M Lamb, S Goldrick; N Healy (0-1), N Owens (0-1), C Rowe (1-2); A Connolly (0-3, 0-1f), L Davey (0-3), N McEvoy (0-1); Subs: K Flood for Owens (39), H Noonan (0-1) for Lamb (47), S McCaffrey for Connolly (52), L Collins for Hudson, N Collins (0-1) for Barrett (both 55).
Monaghan: L Martin; C McDermott, S Courtney, G McNally; A McAnespie, N Fahy, E McAnespie; E McElroy, F Lafferty (0-1); C Courtney (0-2), L McEnaney, C Mohan; C McAnespie, E McCarron (0-2), C McConnell (0-8, 0-3f); Subs: T Scott for Mohan (30), A Casey for McEnaney (38), R McKenna for Lafferty (50).
Referee: S Joy (Kerry).
TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies' Football Championship quarter-final: Offaly 0-13 Fermanagh 1-7
FERMANAGH bowed out of this year’s TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship to Offaly at Mullahoran on Saturday.
The Ulster champions only entered the All-Ireland competition at the quarter-final stage and perhaps the fact their opponents already had a game under their belt told the difference as they looked to be in control from the early stages.
The first point of the game went to Fermanagh but, by the end of the first quarter, Offaly led 0-3 to 0-1. That said, however, Fermanagh did get back on level terms at 0-4 apeice, but a strong finish to the first half saw Offaly lead at three at the break, 0-7 to 0-4.
The sides were level again by the 43rd minute at 1-6 to 0-9, but Offaly got their noses in front once again and, with Fermanagh unable to score in the last 10 minutes, Offaly held on to book their place in the semi-finals, where they will meet Leinster champions Kildare in a repeat of the their provincial decider.
Kildare overcame Wexford with ease in the day’s other quarter-final, winning 2-18 to 2-7. They led 0-12 to 1-4 at half-time, a lead that was extended to 1-14 to 1-4 shortly after the resumption and, when they grabbed their second major, the scoreboard read 2-16 to 1-4. However, Wexford did find the back of the net with two consolation goals to put some respectability on the scoreboard.
The other semi-final sees Waterford play Leitrim on Saturday in Limerick.
