Ulster Senior Ladies' Football Championship semi-final: Donegal 1-14 Armagh 1-10
FROM not scoring anything in the first half, Donegal produced a remarkable comeback to score 1-14 in the second and book their place in the provincial decider next month.
This certainly was the proverbial game of two halves at a very windy Greencastle on Saturday evening with some torrential downpours making underfoot conditions difficult.
Armagh, using that huge wind advantage, hit 1-8 in the first half to lead by 11 points at half-time, with Donegal unable to register anything on the scoreboard.
It was nothing less than the Orchard county deserved as, in a very hard-hitting and intense opening 38 or so minutes, the 2014 champions frustrated their opponents, defending in numbers as they put the squeeze on Donegal, pressuring them into playing the ball quickly, and dealing better with the slippy surface.
There were just minutes on the clock when Armagh found the back of the net through Aimee Mackin – who finished with 1-3 – after team-mate Lauren McConville won the ball from a Donegal kick-out.
Donegal’s first real chance came in the 10th minute when captain Geraldine McLaughlin got her hands on the ball, took on a couple of Armagh defenders and bore down on goal only for her shot to skew right and wide. It was a reminder to Armagh of her and Donegal’s real threat.
With both sides not giving each other an inch, the 15-minute mark saw things hot up. Catherine Marley was shown the yellow card and sent to the sinbin by referee Gavin Corrigan, while Donegal manager Michéal Naughton found himself banished to the dugout for the remainder of the game as he argued for better protection for players.
With play resumed, Armagh made full use of the wind with some outstanding long-range points from Mackin and McConville to go in 11 points to the good at the break.
The scoreboard did not read well for Donegal but the feeling was if Armagh could hit 1-8 in the first half with that serious wind advantage, there was no reason why Donegal could not do the same.
Within six minutes of the resumption, they were on their way and in four minutes, inspired by captain Geraldine McLaughlin – who ended the game with 1-7 – they had the 1-3 on the board, all from their captain.
Armagh, however, were able to do what Donegal couldn’t in the first half and wing half-forward Aoife McCoy popped over a point in the 41st minute.
But Donegal wiped it out immediately and they turned the screw with a further four points from midfielders Katy Herron and Karen Guthrie (free), McLaughlin (free) and one from corner-back Treasa Doherty.
A monstrous point from Ward reduced Armagh’s lead to just a single point in the 52nd minute and within seconds, McLaughlin, with an equally huge long range effort, had levelled the game at 1-9 apiece, before another huge Ward point put Donegal in front for the first time in the game in the 55th minute.
Caroline O’Hanlon added a point from a free in the 57th minute to level matters but Donegal, inspired by a brace from their captain, added the game’s final four points with Aoife McDonnell and Guthrie adding the others to pull off a remarkable comeback.
They will now face either Monaghan or Cavan in the final.
Donegal manager Michéal Naughton was a very relieved but delighted man at the final whistle.
“Who would have given us a chance at half-time? It just shows the heart and the commitment these girls have.
We were very calm at half-time,” he said. “I told them they didn’t become a bad team overnight. There was a strong breeze but I told the girls too that we were lax and to believe in ourselves and if we ever had to believe in ourselves it was then.
“We knew if we were to come out and get a score, even though we were 11 points down, we knew we still could take it. Any other team would have folded and gone home at half-time but that shows the bottle this team have and I just hope that this is the stepping stone that makes us for the year.”
Donegal: D McElhinney; T Doherty (0-1), E Gallagher, N McLaughlin; T McCafferty, C Hegarty, A McDonnell (0-1); K Herron (0-1), K Guthrie (0-2, 0-1f); G Houston, N Hegarty, E Ward (0-2); R Friel, G McLaughlin (1-7, 0-4f), Y McMonagle; Subs: Paula McGroary for G Houston (45), C Gallagher for R Friel (65)
Armagh: C O’Hehir; M Sheridan, C McCambridge, S Farrelly; M McGuinness, S Reel, T Grimes; C O’Hanlon (0-1 f), C Marley; F McKenna (0-2f), A McCoy (0-2), A Mackin (1-3); L McConville (0-2), B Mackin, N Marley; Subs: M Tennyson for C Marley (47), K Mallon for B Mackin (50), C McKenna for N Marley (53), N Friel for F McKenna 59)
Referee: Gavin Corrigan (Down)
FERMANAGH booked their place in the Ulster Junior Championship Final with a 3-12 to 0-9 win over Derry in the curtain-raiser at Greencastle on Saturday.
Two goals in the space of 20 seconds put the Erne county 3-1 to 0-1 ahead by the 12th minute.
Joanne Doonan, who had scored Fermanagh’s first major in the fifth minute, got her second with midfielder and captain Aine McGovern adding the third as Emmet Curry’s side led 3-2 to 0-5 at half-time.
Four of Derry’s five points came from Emma Doherty frees.
Fermanagh were just too strong for the Oak Leaf side in the second half, with Doherty adding another another three points from frees to finish with 0-7 and Joanne Doonan top scoring for Fermanagh with 2-3.
Derry now have a second chance at making next month’s decider when they face champions Antrim this Saturday.
