DOWN 6 –17 ANTRIM 1 -2

The Down Ladies Football team continued their winning ways in the Suzuki National League with a convincing win over a spirited Antrim side in Carryduff on Sunday February 27th.

The game got off to a frantic start with a goal from Kyla Trainor following a neat interchange with Castlewellan woman, Lisa Morgan. Suzanne McKerr quickly responded for Antrim with a fine point. This was then followed by with a good individual goal from Michaela Downey. The Bosco player chased her own kick to block the goalkeeper’s attempted clearance, with a simple tap in being the result. The Antrim girls came back into the game well with a scrappy goal and two points but Down’s solid backline prevented any further scores from the saffrons leading into the break, with notable performances coming from Aine Keary and Eilish McConville. However, some wasteful shooting from Down saw only two further scores added before the break - a free kick from Lisa Morgan and a point from play from Emma O’Reilly, with both scores coming as a result of good work by Aoibheann Downey.

The second half saw the mourne county girls move up a gear with both their passing and shooting greatly improved. Star of the show for Down, Kyla Trainor (Downpatrick) coolly slotted home a quick goal and point. The Down forwards scrapped for every ball and got their just rewards – excellent points from Karen Keown, Michaela Downey and Lyndsey Cunningham. Quick thinking from midfielder Denise Maguire also sent Kyla Trainer straight through from a sideline ball for a good point. As the game drew to a close, quick interplay between the forwards and midfielders resulted in points being scored at will from Lisa Morgan, Karen Keown and substitute Michelle Fearon. Kyla Trainor’s physical presence in the square also saw her punch a further goal and emerge with an eventual tally of 4-5.

Down manager Gregory McGonigle will have been heartened by the improvement from the team across the two halves but there is much work still to be done if the Down Ladies are to prevail in tough games against Mayo B and Fermanagh in the coming weeks.