TIME VENUE TYRONE LADIES SENIOR FOOTBALL FINAL
An Charraig Mhor 1-5
Naomh Mhic Artain 0-9
St Macartans are the new Time Venue Tyrone ladies senior football champions, they wrestled away the Jarleth Kerr cup from Carrickmore with three late points enough in the end to turn around a one point deficit into a glorious one point win.
The Macartans midfield came good a frenetic closing ten minute spell with Maura McMenamin and captain Shauna McQuaid turning over ball and setting up numerous attacks as Carrickmore went into the closing minutes with at least one hand on the trophy. In the end Colleen McQuaid kept her cool to tap over a close range free which proved enough to seal title number seven.
It had been an entertaining game, plenty of goalmouth action and plenty of talking points, great fielding and some wonderful passages of play, pity really there had to be a loser in front of a bumper crowd.
Carrickmore created three cut goalscoring chances in the opening half, Gemma Begley, Dearbla McCallan and Clare Gallagher forcing saves from Niamh McKenna, the Macartans too had plenty of ball but failed to convert hitting some seven first half wide’s with Lynda Donnelly’s effort angling wide of the post and off the arm of Carmen keeper Claire Donnelly. At the other end McCallans shot after a tidy build up and neat pass from Gallagher rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced off the line.
The introduction after a laboured start by Carrickmore of veteran Lynette McShane for Cara Grogan seemed to ignite the reigning champions challenge as they trailed 0-2 to a point with Colleen McQuaid and Jolene Donnelly on target for the Macs as Dearbla McCallan latched on a score for Carrickmore in the early exchanges.
Mc Shane’s ability to seek out the right pass teed up Begley for two points while Paula Donnelly brought the sides level ahead of the short whistle, a Gemma Begley goalbound effort well saved in the fourth minute of injury time.
St Macartan’s came out of the blocks flying in the second half, Jolene Donnelly found her target within twenty seconds with a well taken point as Niamh McGirr, a late replacement for Marie Treanor latched on a long range effort seven minutes in . The Clogher Valley sides best goal chance came moments later when Paula Donnelly carved out an opening on the right but Clare Donnelly was equal to her effort.
Goals were obviously at a premium but Carrickmore did eventually get a three pointer, it looked to have changed the course of the game, Sinead McAleer-O’Neill went down the right before delivering a telling pass for McCallan who made sure from close range. Level again though for a fourth time as the clock hit twenty minutes, veteran Lynda Donnelly dropping over a neat score but again it was Carrickmore, seeking a thirteenth title who replied with midfielder Marie Carson pointing.
It looked like game over when Begley pointed a free for the Pairc Colmcille side on 27 minutes, yet there was a sting in the tail with the scores at 1-5 to 0-6, Jolene Donnelly hit a free over from the right before McGirr finished a move involving several players to level things as the game hit the first minute of injury time. Carrickmore pressed again, a hastily taken free thirty metres out was snapped up by the ever present Cathy Donnelly and she quickly turned defence into attack, the move finishing with the winning score. Mc Girr adjudged to have been fouled as she released the ball twenty metres out from the Carmen goals, right half back Colleen McQuaid hitting the free to win it.
Carrickmore felt perhaps there was still time but as a last gasp effort from the right was wasted and it was Macartans through to a date with the Cavan champions Lacken on Saturday at Augher
MATCH STATS
An Charraig Mhor Dearbhla McCallan 1-1, Gemma Begley 0-3, Marie Grogan 0-1
Naomh Mhic Artain Jolene Donnelly 0-3, Colleen McQuaid 0-2, Niamh McGirr 0-2, Lynda Donnelly 0-1 Paula Donnelly 0-1
TEAMS
An Charraig Mhor Clare Donnelly, Alanagh Trainor, Aideeen Loughran, Shauneen ,cAleer, Nuala Loughran, Etaione O’Kane, Cara Grogan, Stacey McCann, Maire Carson, Kathy McAleer, Gemma Begley, Ursula McKearnan, Sinead McAleer O’Neill, Dearbhla McCallan, Clare Gallagher
SUBS Lynette McShane For Grogan, Aofe McGlone For O’Kane, Aimee Fox For C Gallagher
Naomh Mhic Artain Niamh McKenna, Deirdre McCarroll, Niamh McGirr, Shannon McQuaid, Colleen McQuaid, Maria Donnelly, Grainne Kelly, Shauna McQuaid, Maura McMenamin, Joline Donnelly, Katriona McQuaid, Shauna McGirr, Paula Donnelly, Lynda Donnelly, Cathy Donnelly
SUBS Slaine McCarroll for P Donnelly
Referee Brian McCallion Castlederg
By Paddy Sun 7th Sep
