VHI Healthcare Ladies Football Update BY CÓILÍN DUFFY

VHI Healthcare Ladies Football Update BY CÓILÍN DUFFY

Free service provided on behalf of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association

VHI Healthcare Ladies Football Update
BY CÓILÍN DUFFY

Carnacon of Mayo and Cork side Inch Rovers will contest the VHI Healthcare All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Final, following their semi-final victories at the weekend.
On Sunday at Ray Prendergast Memorial Park in Clogher, the home side powered by scoring-sensation Cora Staunton romped to a 1-11 to 1-5 win over Donaghmoyne of Monaghan that boasted All-Star nominees Amanda Casey and sisters Sharon and Fiona Courtney.

Staunton top-scored with 1-7, in a game which despite dry weather was played on a heavy sod due to heavy overnight rain, which left both teams finding it hard to take scores from open play, especially in the first half.

The hosts started led by 0-4 to 0-0 early on with three Cora Staunton frees and a Fiona McHale score accounting for Carnacon’s opening points.

Donaghmoyne kept in touch thanks to scores from Caitriona McConnell and Casey, and despite the sin-binning of Claire Egan early in the first half, Carnacon rallied once more. On Egan’s return for the latter stages of the half, Martha Carter and Staunton were on target to ensure a 0-6 to 0-2 interval lead.

The majority of the second half was all about Carnacon, with Cora Staunton’s goal opening the second half scoring with Claire Egan and Natasha Beagon also playing well for the Connacht champions.

Donaghmoyne’s best spell came following the introduction of Majella Woods, who was less than five minutes on the pitch, when a long ball came in towards the full-forward line, with Woods calmly gathering possession to rifle home her sides only goal of the hour.

But the Monaghan outfit just couldn’t get the better of their Mayo counterparts, and although Carnacon had Cora Staunton sin-binned in the final seven minutes of this game, they held out for victory.

Inch Rovers are Carnacon’s final opponents, after the Cork side backed by six of the Cork All-Ireland winning panel ran out convincing 2-10 to 1-4 winners over first-time VHI Healthcare Leinster SFC champions Sarsfields of Laois at Killeagh.

A 31st minute goal from Claire Keohane paved the way to a Inch Rovers victory.

Keohane goal helped open up a 1-5 to 0-1 lead, with Sarsfields lone score of the first half coming from the boot of Tracey Lawlor. The TG4 All-Star nominee accounted for all of her sides points during this game, with three of those coming from second half injury time frees.

Points from Kate Murphy and Jill Horan ensured a 1-7 to 0-1 lead by the 42nd minute, but Sarsfields staged a mini-rally with Lawlor converting a free, while Claire Conlon broke through for a goal as the game entered the final quarter, and now the deficit stood at just five points.

However this was as close as the Mountmellick outfit got to the hosts, who turned on the style with Jessica O’Shea scoring a goal inside a minute of Farrell’s three-pointer.

Defences suddenly got on top for both sides, and although the likes of Lawlor and Aileen O’Loughlin continued to try hard for Sarsfields, a late sin-binning for Claire Conlon compounded the Laois sides woes.

In other VHI Healthcare Ladies Club Championship action, Emyvale will keep the Monaghan flag flying following their 5-10 to 1-4 win over The Neale in the Intermediate Championship, with the Killoe versus Ballingeary/Inchigeela game postponed.

In the VHI Healthcare Junior Championship, Knockmore of Mayo will face Kilmcihil of Clare in the decider, thanks to their respective semi-final wins over Truagh of Monaghan and Maynooth of Kildare.

Vhi Healthcare All Ireland Senior Club Ladies Football Semi Final:
Carnacon (Mayo) 1-11 Donaghmoyne (Monaghan) 1-5

Carnacon scorers: Cora Staunton (5f) 1-7; Fiona McHale 0-2; Martha Carter, Noelle Tierney 0-1 each.
Donaghmoyne scorers: Majella Woods 1-1; Caitriona McConnell (2f) 0-2; Amanda Casey, Niamh Lynch 0-1 each.

Inch Rovers (Cork) 2-10,Mountmellick Sarsfields (Laois) 1-4
Inch Rovers scorers: Claire Keohane, Jessica O’Shea 1-1 each; Amy O’Shea (4f) 0-4; Mary O’Connor (1f), Jill Horan 0-2 each. Mountmellick Sarsfields scorers: Tracey Lawlor (3f) 0-4; Claire Conlon 1-0.

Vhi Healthcare All Ireland Intermediate Club Ladies Football Semi Finals
Emyvale (Monaghan) 5-10, Neale (Mayo) 1-4
Killoe (Longford) v Ballingeary/ Inchigeela (Cork) OFF

Vhi Healthcare All Ireland Junior Club Ladies Football Semi Finals
Knockmore (Mayo) 3-10 Truagh (Monaghan) 1-7
Kilmichil (Clare) 3-5 Maynooth (Kildare) 3-4