All-Ireland Ladies Football Semi-Final
Down 1-16 Leitrim 2-10
Down ladies are through to their first All-Ireland since 2005, beating Leitrm in Extra Time in a match that went to the wire. [caption id="attachment_51642" align="alignleft" width="390"]
Down’s Karen McMullan played her part in the victory over Leitrim.[/caption]
Down won a Junior All-Ireland in 2000 with a young Lisa Morgan lining out for Down fourteen years ago and she will be doing so again in four weeks time in Down’s second Intermediate All-Ireland Final. Their last was in 2005 losing out on that occasion to Roscommon.
Again Roscommon are in the mix for an All-Ireland Final slot this coming weekend when they meet Fermanagh in the second of the TG4 All Ireland Intermediate Semi-Finals, with Armagh Ladies fighting it out for a Senior Final slot when they meet current Senior All Ireland Champions Cork who are on the hunt for their ninth All-Ireland title.
Down were dominant throughout the game and opened the scoring with a pointed free from Aileen Pyres. Leitrim, however, were on the score sheet soon after with a goal from Michelle Heslin. Down kept their shape and stuck to their game plan throughout the first half. A superb point from distance by joint captain Kyla Trainor and pointed frees from Pyres and a good score from play by Sinead McNamee in the first half saw Down dominate the play. Sinead Fegan was instrumental as was Joint Captain Niamh McGowan in midfield who fielded some lovely ball.
After a break in play due to an accidental clash of heads between Niamh McGowan and Leitrim’s star forward the towering Aine Tighe, the game restarted and Down again looked in control with a fine score from play at distance from Orla Fegan putting Down now a clear 6 points in front. Leitrim hadn’t scored since their goal in the early foray of the first half and a welcome score from a free by Michelle Heslin kept the deficit at 6 points.
[caption id="attachment_51639" align="aligncenter" width="540"]
The Down Ladies football team who beat Leitrim in a tight struggle to win a place in the final at Croke Park.[/caption]
Down continued to dominate with a pointed free from Pyres, followed by an attack on goal which saw Leitrim keeper Michelel Guckian called upon not once but twice when Pyres’ shot is saved on the line, rebounds out to find Trainor eagerly awaiting it and the Down veteran looked like a cert for a goal only for McGuckian to make another top drawer save and deny Down the opportunity of going 9 in front. Down went in at the half 6 points up. Down 0-11 Letrim 1-02.
Leitrim looked a lot more attack-minded in the second half and the Down backs were called upon a lot more than they had in the first half. Eliza Downey was exceptional in the back line as was Orla Boyle and Hannah Murray with the girls working as a tight unit to deny Leitrim some critical scores. But Down were also continually on the hunt for scores. Jordan Magee too a quick free spotting the recently introduced Lisa Morgan on a run. Morgan took the ball on the run, looked at the goal but aired on the side of caution and put it over the bar. A wise decision no doubt as McGuckian had brought her A game with her today and was on top form.
At the other end Michelle Heslin was having a superb game and put the ball over the bar from an impossible angle but with 12 minutes to go Down were still leading by 6 points. Down 0-14 Letrim 1-05. However, Leitrim got the rub of the green and a shot from Aine Tighe which looked like it was going over, fell short and rebounded of the crossbar and behind the line for a gaol. This was the shot in the arm Leitrim needed. Tighe was soon on the score sheet again with a pointed free and the deficit was reduced to just 3 points in a few minutes.
With just three minutes of time left on the clock, Down led by 3 points when the newly introduced Roisin Fowley for Leitrim put a fine score from play over the bar. Leitrim now had the momentum, and another from play by Fowley reduced the deficit to one. Then Aibhle Clancy got the equaliser with less than a minute on the clock and Down were left scratching their heads.
Extra time of ten minutes each way saw Down get off to the best possible start. Within a minute of the restart Down veterans Lisa Morgan and Kyla Trainor combined on a one two with Morgan laying the ball off to Trainor who volleyed it into the back of the net and put Down 3 up in extra time.
Down looked the fitter of the two teams in extra time, and continued with the pace they had been playing at throughout the game. Down’s dual player Karen McMullan had a great game throughout. Her fitness level and precision fielding was a joy to watch. McMullan will now join the very exclusive club of dual players who have played two All-Ireland Finals in one year, as she will be action with the Down Camogs on Sept 14 in their All Ireland Final v Laois, before lining out 2 weeks later on Sept 28 for Down Footballers. A tremendous year for Karen.
Leitrim’s Michelle Heslin was the constant danger to Down and in the second half of extra time, again put the ball over the bar to reduce the deficit to just 2 points. But it was Down’s defending that stood out in extra time. Niamh McGowan made a crucial block denying Leitrim a point and when the ball broke close to the Down goal mouth, corner forward Kyla Trainor was there to gather it up and instigate a Down attack and within minutes Trainor herself put the ball over the bar at the other end.
A fantastic show of team play and dedication from the Down joint Captain and an inspiration to any young player. Trainor’s point was the last of the game with Down winning a hard fought but a deserved place in the All Ireland Final 2014.
Final Score after Extra Time Down 1-16 Leitrim 2.10
]]>
