Cavan Deny Clare

Lidl National Football League Division Two Semi-Final

Sunday 23^rd April at 2:45pm

St. Brendan’s Park, Birr

 

Half Time: Cavan 0-10, Clare 0-06

Full Time: Cavan 3-16, Clare 0-11

 

Cavan booked their place in the Lidl NFL Division Two final with a fine energetic performance in St. Brendan’s Park on Sunday afternoon. While the opening half was nip and tuck, Cavan hit the net at crucial times to ensure they go to battle with Westmeath for Division One football next season in the final on May 7^th.

 

Cavan raced into an early three point lead with the industrious Claragh O’Reilly, Aishling Sheridan and Amy Rooney all splitting the posts. The teams traded scores on ten mins as Clare’s Gráinne Nolan opened the scoring for the Banner while this was ruled out by a converted free from O’Reilly. Roisín Considine and Niamh O’Dea helped reduce the defecit to a single point midway through the half. A further brace of scores from Nolan, including one free, were sandwiched between sharp attacking from Cavan with Donna English splitting the posts twice and Aisling Doonan pointing on 22 mins. Doonan had a fine afternoon, her intelligent link up play and reading of the game forced the Clare defence on to the back foot. A second Doonan point and two fine points from Rooney gave the Ulster side a 0-10 scoreline. A late Ailish Considine point ensured Clare trailed Cavan by four at the break.

 

The second half wasn’t thirty seconds old when Clare brought the gap to three, Niamh O’Dea getting her second of the contest. However, the turning point of the game came on the resumption as Aishling Sheridan fired home from close range to push her side’s lead to six. It was the lead Cavan needed, and although Clare tried to get back into contention, a trio of points from the 43^rd to the 45^th minute from Roisín Looney, Kayleigh McCormack and O’Dea reduced the gap back to four, Cavan never looked like losing and regained their lead with points from Sheridan, Catriona Smith, Doonan and substitute Geraldine Smith. Late goals from Claragh O’Reilly and substitute Elizabeth Farrelly McGee put a gloss on Cavan’s win and they can look forward to heading up the M3 for another outing in this year’s League campaign.

 

Cavan: Elaine Walsh, Rachael Doonan, Ailish Cornyn, Mona Sheridan, Sinéad Greene (0-01, Capt.), Laura Fitzpatrick, Sheila Reilly, Sinéad O’Sullivan, Donna English (0-02), Caitriona Smith (0-01), Amy Rooney (0-03), Neasa Byrd, Aishling Sheridan (1-02), Claragh O’Reilly (1-03, 1 free), Aisling Doonan (0-03, 1 free).

 

Subs: Rachael Jordan for R. Doonan (48 mins), Geraldine Smith (0-01) for A. Sheridan (52 mins), Gráinne Smith for O’Reilly (57 mins), Shauna Lynch for Reilly (57 mins), Elizabeth Farrelly McGee (1-00) for A. Doonan (59 mins).

 

Clare: Ciara Harvey, Nicole O’Doherty, Laurie Ryan (C), Amanda Mulcair, Roisín Considine, Ellie O’Gorman, Kayleigh McCormack (0-01), Tara Kelly, Roisín Looney (0-02), Ailish Considine (0-01), Catriona Callinan, Sarah Bohannon, Ciara Hickey, Niamh O’Dea (0-03), Gráinne Nolan (0-03, 1 free).

 

Subs: Becky Mahon for Hickey (27 mins), Lizzie Roache for Bohannon (38 mins), Gráinne Harvey for O’Doherty (50 mins), Anna Courtney for Kelly (50 mins), Shauna Harvey for O’Gorman (59 mins).

 

Referee: Stephen McNulty (Wicklow)