Down capture Ulster honours at the Moy

31 May 2023

DOWN senior ladies are champions of Ulster.

The Mourne outfit claimed the junior crown at the Moy on Saturday after a pulsating back and forth affair was decided in the closing minutes as their Fermanagh opponents wilted.

The substitutions of Down joint managers Peter Lynch and Caoibhe Sloan were crucial, with Aisling Cull raising the green flag twice to ultimately prove the difference.

Her first came with her very first touch of the match immediately after being introduced; a surging run down the left flank saw Vivienne McCormack barrel down on goal before unselfishly squaring a pass to Cull, who was on hand to palm into the net.

“It’s something we have been working on in training,” said Cull.

“We have Mark Poland in this year as a forwards’ coach and he’s been a great asset to the backroom team.

“I think he would be a happy man seeing that there was a palmed goal worked.”

Aimee O’Higgins, also entering the fray from the bench, found the net by nudging an inviting ball past onrushing Erne ‘keeper Roisin Gleeson.

But the game still needed that insurance goal, which came in the closing stages in the form of super sub Cull’s second.

She showed the tiring Fermanagh defence a clean pair of heels before collecting a high ball and nestling her effort into the bottom right corner of the net without a need for an invitation.

This put the result beyond reach and sparked scenes of jubilation from the travelling Down support who turned out in their numbers.

However, it could have been a different result had the game followed the theme of the first half.

A low-scoring return saw Fermanagh lead 0-5 to 0-3 at the break, but the story behind this was the wastefulness in front of goal from both sides.

Points were exchanged after the break before Cull notched the opening goal and after further scores were traded.

Fermanagh pulled the contest back to within a point when Brenda Bannon registered her team’s only major of the match.

But, O’Higgins’ goal restored a four-point margin at 2-8 to 1-7 in the 50th minute and Fermanagh would only muster a single point thereafter.

This was largely in part to a titanic performance from Down’s defensive line, with Downpatrick’s Orla Boyle picking up the player of the match award for her composure and heroics.

Following the conclusion, Down boss Sloan reflected on the final stages of the match.

“When you are in this situation of the favourites’ tag that you are trying to brush off, it is a relief when that hooter sounded at the end,” she said.

“It was lovely to hear the crowd counting down the last ten seconds when we knew we were there.”

Sloan also gave special mention to the ladies who were unable to compete through injury.

“This one is for all the girls who are injured,” she said.

“Some of the girls at the start of the year, Sarah Dougherty, Kate McKay, Alice McAlea, Clara Mulvenna, people we miss and want to be playing here so this is for them.”

Down: A McGivern; P Smyth, C Byrne, O Boyle; N McKibbin, M Doherty (capt), O Duffy (0-1); A Laverty, A Keown; N Scullion, V McCormack, L Duffy, E Fitzpatrick (0-2), N Ferris (0-3f), N King

Subs: A Cull (2-1) for Fitzpatrick (37); A O’Higgins (1-1) for King (46); E Martin for McCormack (49), O Swail for Ferris (55).

Fermanagh: R Gleeson; E Keenan, M McGloin, C Clarke; S McQuade (capt), C Murphy, S McCarville; R O’Relly (0-1), N McManus; S Britton, D Maguire, A Maguire; B Bannon (1-0), B Bogue (0-6, 0-4f), L Maguire (0-1)

Subs: A Flanagan for Britton (42), L Grew for O’Reilly (50).

Down 3-8

Fermanagh 1-8

ULSTER LADIES’ JFC FINAL

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