Ladies Football All Ireland Qualifiers:
Down 2-12 Meath 0-13
The Down ladies team roared through to
the next stage of the All Ireland qualifiers
with a well earned victory against a good
Meath side. Playing in the heat of Mullingar,
the mourne girls hit a milestone for ladies
football in the county by recording their
first ever senior championship win, delighting
the many Down fans watching both in the
ground and at home on TG4.
Straight from the throw in, Meath’s
height advantage in midfield proved advantageous
for them as Mary Sheridan secured the ball
and strove forward looking for their first
score and while she found corner forward
Alisha Jordan, she hit the ball slightly
wide of the post. Down’s first foray
forward was to prove equally unproductive
as an excellent run by Lisa Morgan saw the
Castlewellan player finish with a shot that
narrowly missed the left hand post. Down
were first to get off the mark though as
captain Michaela Downey’s strong solo
and kick up the left wing found Orla Fegan
and when the St Mary’s star was fouled,
freetaker Aileen Pyers was on hand to convert
for the score. A carbon copy of Down’s
first score doubled their lead a minute
later as Downey this time was fouled with
Pyers capitalising. Meath brought the gap
back to one on the five minute mark as Meath
sharp shooter, Elaine Duffy fired over after
a good move by the royals down the middle
of the field. Their influential midfielder,
Grainne Nulty brought the teams level on
the next kickout when a neat interplay with
Keenan was rewarded with a point from twenty
yards. Meath, experiencing somewhat of a
purple patch took the lead after they dispossessed
Down on their half back line and Nulty again
showed her strength by shrugging off Down
tackles to fire over. She increased the
Meath lead to two points with a fine solo
effort and strike from in front of the posts.
At the midway point of the half, Meath’s
height in midfield was a major asset in
securing possession from both side’s
kickouts with Down having to work hard to
get their hands on the ball. The mourne
team’s strike rate in front of goal
though was to get them out of trouble as
they built their attacks from the back.
Half backs Emma Mulhern, Aoibheann Downey
and Sinead Fegan worked tirelessly to provide
quick ball to the forwards. They found reward
as Michaela Downey took Down to within a
point as she struck from a free after being
fouled from twenty yards out. The Clonduff
teacher proceeded to bring the teams level
after persistent fouls from Meath were punished
from frees. Lisa Morgan doubled her points
tally after eighteen minutes to take the
lead again, five points to four with an
excellent score from the right wing. Down
management also responded decisively to
the height disadvantage in midfield introducing
dual player Fionnuala Carr to the action
on the twenty minute mark. The decisive
moment of the half came with eight minutes
remaining when Down struck their first goal
of the game. A probing Down ball down the
left wing found Lisa Morgan who proceeded
goal ward before aiming a pass to Aileen
Pyers. Meath, who had players back in force,
broke the move down, only for Newry Shamrocks
starlet Orla Fegan to steal in for the breaking
ball. The Shamrocks player kept cool under
pressure to lob the ball over the keeper
into the top right hand corner of the net.
Despite the goal strike, Meath persisted
with their drives forward. Blaithin Brennan
hit the perfect response, firing over after
a fast interplay with midfielder Mary Sheridan.
Elaine Duffy brought the gap down further
with a point on thirty minutes but the Meath
sides scoring ratio let them down, as they
hit around three wides for every score obtained.
The impact of substitute Fionnuala Carr
was decisive as the Clonduff player made
her height and strength felt. Her first
major impact saw her capture possession
from a Meath kickout, sail past two players
before passing off to the excellent Kyla
Trainor for her point. The teams traded
a number of wides in the closing seconds
of the half but as the hooter sounded signalling
the half time break, Orla Fegan’s
goal separated the sides. Half time score,
Down 1-6, Meath 0-6.
Down made the perfect start to the second
half as a superb low ball from Lisa Morgan
found Natasha Ferris on the right wing who
turned and stroked the ball over the bar.
Down didn’t have their won way though
as Meath secured plenty of possession but
again the finishing was the difference between
the sides as the Royals hit three bad wides
in succession from Mary Sheridan and Grainne
Nulty. They continued to work though, and
it began to pay off as full forward Elaine
Duffy and Nulty fired over, their scores
interspersed with an unlucky strike against
the upright from Down’s Aileen Pyers.
The Down tean would have been happy to accept
the Nulty score though as it came after
her midfield partner Mary Sheridan shook
the crossbar with an excellent goal strike.
Down went agonisingly close to hitting a
second goal on the forty minute mark as
a long pass in bounced over her marker’s
head, leaving her straght through on goal.
The Castlewellan player headed for goal
and struck a low shot only to see it creep
past the outside of the post. The opening
ten minutes represented Down’s only
wobble in the game, with credit going to
Meath for their workrate. They reduced the
Down gap to a single point as half back
Lisa Keenan fired over from in front of
the posts. Meath’s inability to get
past a solid Down back line was crucial
though for Down in maintaining their lead.
They stepped up a gear and pressed forward.
Annaclone’s Aileen Pyers was unlucky
to see her strike from the left wing strike
the post but Castlewellan’s Lisa Morgan
followed up well to fire over. Down followed
this with a score from hard working half
back Sinead Fegan who fired over after a
superb solo run. Despite further wides from
Meath, they kept Down nerves jangling as
the score board ticked over, with full forward
Duffy bringing the scores level again with
seven minutes remaining.
Down’s superior fitness and hunger
were to prove vital though as they again
took the lead as a neat interplay between
Natasha Ferris and Aileen Pyers led to the
Annaclone player being fouled as she sought
to receive a return pass. Captain Michaela
Downey made no mistake from the free. The
result of the game was made more certain
with five minutes to go as a Lisa Morgan
point was followed by Down’s second
goal of the game. Michaela Downey, pulled
the strings for the move, hitting a sweet
pass over the top of the Meath half back
line for Kyla Trainor to run on to. The
Downpatrick player made no mistake as she
bore down on goal and struck the ball low
inside the left hand post, giving goal keeper
Irene Munnelly no chance. What followed
was the longest three minutes in the history
of ladies football in Down as mourne players
and fans alike watched the clock count down
agonisingly slowly. The team kept their
composure though and retained possession
well. It was only when half forward Orla
Fegan fired over with a minute remaining
that Down nerves eased. As the hooter sounded,
the team went into raptures, celebrating
their first senior Championship victory
and secured themselves a place in the next
phase of the playoffs.
Manager Paul McShane was rightly proud
of his team saying, “the girls put
in a tremendous performance today in difficult
conditions. The heat on the day was sapping
for both teams and it is a testament to
our players fitness that they never stopped
until the final whistle”. Commenting
on the team’s finish to the game,
he said “the solid tackling carried
out in our defence was vital in not allowing
any goals through and provided a great platform
for the forwards to press on for the win.
If we continue to play with such determination,
we will be a challenge to whoever we face”.
So a milestone for the Down Ladies team
who will look forward with great anticipation
to the playoffs draw this week. Excellent
performances came from all areas of the
field. Eliza Downey and Jenna Connell in
defence worked tirelessly while up front
Orla Fegan, Kyla Trainor and Lisa Morgan
ran all day. The TG4 Player of the match
award went to captain Michaela Downey who
presented endless problems for Meath both
with her solo runs and probing passes. She
was presented with the trophy by President
of Cumann peil gael na Mban Geraldine Giles.
The Down team’s next game will take
place on August 9th.
Down team: Elaine McCourt, Jenna Connell,
Eliza Downey, Niamh Lennon, Emma Mulhern,
Aoibheann Downey, Sinead Fegan (0-1), Sinead
Murphy, Kyla Trainor (1-1), Orla Fegan (1-1),
Lisa Morgan (0-3), Karen Gribben, Natasha
Ferris (0-1), , Michaela Downey (0-3), Aileen
Pyers (0-2). Subs Used: Fionnuala Carr.
