Antrim ladies return to junior final stage

4th September 2016

Antrim 6-15-2-08 London

By Kevin Herron at Fingallians, Swords

Antrim ladies booked a trip to Croke Park on September 25th and secured a place in the all-Ireland junior football final after a comfortable 6-15-2-08 win over London at Fingallians, Swords on Sunday afternoon.

Two-weeks after defeating Lancashire to earn their semi-final spot the Saffron’s took on the exiles who were awarded a walkover after Carlow conceded and the Londoners were first on the score sheet in Dublin as two minutes into the game Niamh Murphy released Fiona Morrissey who struck low past Christine Drain to make it 0-00-1-00.

Antrim responded immediately however and were back on terms within a minute when Eimear Gallagher got on the end of a pass out wide and cut in at the by-line before shooting to the net via the crossbar and post past Lucy Hawkes to make it 1-00-1-00.

Clare Timoney put Antrim ahead on four minutes but Hannah Noonan converted a free to level the scores although Mairiosa McGourty restored the Saffron’s lead after getting onto the end of a Mairead Cooper pass.

Seamus McKenna’s side then found their second goal of the afternoon on eight minutes when Cooper picked out Gallagher whose shot beat Hawkes and hit the underside of the bar with the umpires satisfied the ball had crossed the line Antrim led 2-02-1-01.

London hit back with Ursula Murphy grabbing a point and on 13 minutes the game was level again when Aine Gormley was afforded too much time and space and the half-forward blasted past Drain in the Antrim goals to make it 2-02-2-02.

The sides traded scores again with Gallagher edging Antrim ahead only for Aine Gormley to level with a free but the pendulum swung back in Antrim’s favour on 18 minutes, it looked as though the Saffron’s would find their third goal of the afternoon when Mairiosa McGourty rounded the London defence but as the corner forward pulled the trigger she was brought to ground and referee Conor Dourneen signalled for a penalty. Clare Timoney took responsibility and made no mistake blasting low to the net to make it 3-03-2-03

Cathy Carey then hit a superb point which was followed by another from Mairead Cooper who turned inside and out before firing between the large posts.

Four minutes before the break Mairiosa McGourty linked up with Aine Devlin to great effect as the St Ergnat’s forward rifled home to make it 4-05-2-03. Gallagher hit her second of the afternoon shortly after a minute before the break Clare Timoney fed Mairiosa McGourty who went through one on one and had the composure to dink the ball over the advancing Lucy Hawkes and into the net to give the Saffron’s a 5-06-2-03 lead at the interval.

Within a minute of the restart Hannah Noonan converted a free to reduce the deficit for the exiles but Mairiosa McGourty hit back to restore Antrim’s twelve point lead.

Noonan once again reduced arrears though Mairead Cooper found a point despite being under intense pressure from the London defence to make it 5-08-2-05.

Hannah Noonan hit her third successive point on 39 minutes but two minutes later Antrim found goal number six when Cooper played a successful one-two with Eimear Gallagher before her shot bobbled to the net past Hawkes to put Antrim 6-08-2-06 up.

Aine Gormley replied for the exiles however the St Galls show was about to commence as the next five scores would be shared between Eimear Gallagher and Mairiosa McGourty; two for Gallagher who took her tally to 2-04 and three for McGourty who ended the day with a personal tally of 1-05 and a further two points from Mairead Cooper sealed a comfortable passage to the final for the Saffron’s despite London substitute Maeve Wyle scoring the final point in injury-time as the game finished 6-15-2-08.

Antrim will now face familiar opposition in Longford in the final at Croke Park on September 25th with the Saffron’s looking to avenge their championship defeat at the start of August and replicate their 2012 junior all-Ireland success.

Antrim: C Drain, S Tennyson, E Kelly, S Haughey, J McCavana, S Cochrane, D O’Kane, A McFarland, A Tubridy, M Cooper (1-04), C Timoney (1-01), C Carey (0-01), A Devlin (1-00), E Gallagher (2-04), M McGourty (1-05). Subs: E Mallon for A Devlin (43 mins), N Kelly for McCavana (47 mins), B Devlin for E Gallagher (49 mins), C Dahunsi for S Haughey (51 mins), N Enright for M Cooper (57 mins).

London: L Hawkes, C Barrett, L Corcoran, S Henry, U Murphy (0-01), S Quinn, K Gilgunn, H Hughes, H Noonan (0-04), S McCooey, A Gormley (1-02), B Gallagher, F Morrissey (1-00), N Murphy, G Taylor. Subs: M Wyle for F Morrissey (36 mins), E Sayers for S McCooey (42 mins), H Stephens for U Murphy (48 mins).

Referee: Conor Dourneen (Cavan)