Down Ladies see off Leitrim in IFC match

18 November 2020

DOWN’S ladies were able to secure a morale-boosting eight-point win over Leitrim in the All-Ireland Intermediate Football Championship in Inniskeen on Sunday afternoon.

The championship was over as far as both sides were concerned in terms of any hopes of their progress. But that did not stop the Mourne girls from continuing to put on a superb display.

Down were intent on finishing the competition on a positive note and immediately broke forward from the throw-in, Jessica Foy hitting the net after 12 seconds.

Playing with the wind, Leitrim responded well with a couple of points, but Down soon settled into the game and established clear control.

A second goal came midway through the half from Natasha Ferris and w Leitrim mainly relying on frees to close the gap, Ferris added a neat 23rd minute score to put three points between the sides.

Just seconds later, Ferris, the full-forward, claimed possession once more and left the Leitrim defence for dead to put four between the teams. Down led 2-6 to 0-7 at the break.

In the second half, the Mourne girls continued their superiority. However, Leitrim pulled back two points, including one from Mairead Devanney, who found space and floated over the ball expertly.

Jessica Foy put four points between the sides when she scored from an invitingly-placed free.

In the 40th minute Foy found Ferris, who was beautifully placed on the edge of the square and she fired home to make it 3-7 to 0-9 in Down’s favour.

Leitrim, whilst struggling to contain Down’s attack, were still posing a threat and in a short place of time they twice hit the Down woodwork.

Foy stretched the lead to 3-9 to 0-9 by the next water break. That was an example of the strong game-management which Down exhibited in this clash as they kept the opposition at arm’s length.

Leitrim pulled a goal back before Mairead Cavanagh continued to enforce Down’s superiority when she benefited from a ricochet off a Leitrim defender to fire over.

As the game entered its latter stages, Down continued to show a greater urgency to add to their scoreline.

Aobheen McCarvill broke through a tiring opposition defence and fired over from a narrow angle as Down sealed the victory.

Down: A Burns, A Greene, C Byrne, E Martin, O Duffy, K White, C Cunningham, O Lavery, C Fitzpatrick, A McCarvill (1-1), J Foy (1-2), M Adegbamiye, K McKay (0-2), N Ferris (1-5), M Doherty.

Subs used: O Swail (0-1), N McKibben, P Smyth, M Kavanagh (0-1), O Blaney.

Leitrim 1-10

Down 3-12

ALL-IRELAND LADIES IFC

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