Underdogs Down swoop to conquer favourites Cavan

Underdogs Down swoop to conquer favourites Cavan

26 June 2013

DOWN Ladies booked their place in the Ulster final for the first time in 14 years when they took care of business against Cavan on Sunday.

Down, who will now face Fermanagh in the provincial decider on July 14, went into this match against Cavan as underdogs, but this new band of young upstarts from the Mournes stamped their authority on this clash from the outset.

Down opened the scoring from play with a well taken point from Lauren Cunningham. What she lacks in height she surely makes up for in skill, and Lauren had her shooting boots on taking adding a further two consecutive scores for Down.

It was the 12th minute before Cavan registered a good score from play and some nice football from them had Down on the back foot for a while.

They hit the back of the net with fine goal and two more points from play without reply from Down to set up a good lead.

It’s when the going gets tough that this Down team seem able to step it up a

gear when required. Down Captain Sinead Fegan was very much the driving force behind her side’s reply to the Cavan onslaught.

Both Fegan twins Sinead and Orla on a number of occasions sought out Sinead McNamee who, as in the league final against Armagh, always seemed to be on a run in right place at the right time and for pace there were few who could match her on the Cavan side.

It was on one such foray deep in the Cavan half that McNamee found Kyla Trainor, who, under pressure, bore down on goal, but unfortunately in the slippery conditions, she hit the woodwork only for the ball to rebound out and into a mêlée of Down and Cavan players from which the enterprising Lauren Cunningham appeared with the ball and coolly knocked it over the bar.

But Down weren’t finished there, Grainne McClean had been working very hard all afternoon and there surely looked to be a goal chance on but she decided the point was more valuable at this stage and placed it over the bar.

Down went in at half-time one point up and looking the more relaxed and confident of the two teams.

The second half saw Down at their best. The scoring was opened with scores from play from Sinead McNamee, Lauren Cunningham and Grainne Kelly, who was also having a very good game.

Cunningham scored another point from play, but it was a controversial decision by the umpires that really made Cavan their heads for a spell.

Cunningham took a ball from Trainor and it dropped short into the ‘keeper’s arms, however, the umpires judged the Cavan ‘keeper to have been behind her line when she caught the ball and were quick and decisive to wave the green flag.

Cavan made a spirited attempt to come back with three unanswered points, and but for a number of decisive saves from ‘keeper Christine McCarthy, Cavan may have found something in the bag to give Down a scare.

It was Cavan’s obvious fear of another Down goal that was their undoing.

On three separate occasions as the Down forwards were making inroads towards the Cavan goal, the Cavan backs fouled the player, gifting Down three frees which Grainne McClean duly put over.

Kyla Trainor finished the scoring for Down with another super score to complete a good day at the office.

Final score: Down Ladies 1-13 Cavan Ladies 1-8

Down: Christine McCarthy, Cora McKibbin, Laura Sharvin, Orla Boyle, Eimer Kane, Niamh Magowan, Sinead Fegan, Clara Fitzpatrick, Grainne Kelly, Meghan Doherty, Grainne McClean, Orla Fegan, Lauren Cunningham, Kyla Trainor, Natasha Ferris, Katie Farrell, Hannah Murray, Hazel Jordan, Sinead Brannigan, Emer McKay, Ciara McArdle, Clare Fitzpatrick, Nicole Mulholland, Amy Nicholson, Sinead McNamee, Ciara O’Higgins, Coleen McShane, Sinead Ennis, Lisa Morgan.