TG4 All-Ireland Ladies’ JFC round three
Group A
Limerick 1-8 Down 1-13
Kilkenny 1-5 Sligo 7-19
DOWN will face Carlow in the All-Ireland junior semi-finals after topping their group with a win over Limerick yesterday.
Limerick, meanwhile, will face Group B winners, Fermanagh on July 23, with the strong possibility of an all-Ulster All-Ireland final for the second year running.
The first half in Newcastlewest was nip and tuck and just a point separated the sides at the break, the Ulster side leading 0-7 to 1-3.
However, a strong second-half performance led by the impressive Natasha Ferris, who finished with 1-9, saw Down run out five-point winners.
Ferris and Laoise Duffy put early points on the board for Down but a sixth-minute Amy Ryan goal helped put the home side in front, 1-2 to 0-3.
Two Ferris frees had the game level but Iris Kennelly edged Limerick back in front before Ferris and Aimee O’Higgins points swung the lead back in Down’s favour before the half-time whistle.
Ferris’ goal four minutes into the second half was crucial. It may have been fortunate, coming from a free that looped into the back of the net, but it, along with two more points from the full-forward, put Down 1-9 to 1-3 ahead.
Limerick reduce the gap to four, but they then lost Grace Lee to the sin-bin with 13 minutes remaining.
Down sub Eimear Fitzpatrick and Ferris once again restored the six-point lead and while Limerick sub Caoimhe McGrath hit three further points, all from frees, Ferris got another two for Down, to keep their opposition at arm’s length.
Group B
Fermanagh 3-13 Derry 1-11
Carlow 4-11 London 3-6
FIRST-HALF goals from Lisa Maguire and Blaithin Bogue gave Fermanagh a 2-6 to 0-6 lead at half-time despite Orla McGeough’s best efforts, the Steelstown player hitting four of her side’s six first-half points.
McGeough pointed for Derry at the start of the second half but three points from the visitors including two Bogue frees doubled their advantage, 2-9 to 0-7.
Derry continued to battle and a Dervla Stimson goal and a point from Nuala Browne got them back to within five with a quarter of the game remaining.
Fermanagh, though, responded through Danielle Maguire and Brenda Bannon but Derry did too, McGeough (free) and Browne pulling them back to within four.
However, Fermanagh’s third goal from Maguire was a blow for Derry, their hopes of finishing off with a win ended as the Kinawley played found the back of the net with seven minutes remaining.
Carlow booked their place in the semi-finals with a 4-11 to 3-6 win over London yesterday.
