All Ireland Ladies Football Championship
Fermanagh 1-16, Carlow 3-4
The old adage of once bitten twice shy may have been on Fermanagh’s mind from the previous meeting of the sides when Maeve O’ Neill’s broke Erne hearts with the last kick of the game in the Division 4 semi final.
If so from Blaithin Bogue’s 1st minute point they set a tone and pace to dominate proceedings to mean the late concession of a goal to Siofra O’Neill didn’t have the same outcome.
Ablistering start with all the Fermanagh starting sextet up front scoring from play by the much needed water break in the 20th minute. A statement of intent.
Rachel Sawyer’s green flag following a great Megan Townsend run in the 7th minute in reply to Bogue and Eimear Smyth’s 4 points, offered temporary solace with Bogue and Smyth in particular cutting through time and again.
Aoife McCabe was the last of the 6 starting forwards to raise a flag, throw in Lisa Maguire from wing back finding herself in space to score and it was fitting that the brilliant Smyth all but put the game beyond Carlow as early as the 25th minute goaling past Nicole Hanley.
The Fermanagh press on the Carlow kickout throughout and quick thinking left the home team glad to hear referee David Grogan’s half time whistle after the equally impressive Bogue had traded points with Cliodhna Ni Shé to leave it 1-13 to 1-1 at the interval .
Playing in to the Dublin Rd end it was the previously unbeaten Carlow in the early stages in the ascendancy.
A bullet of a Megan Townsend goal in the 35th followed by a Sawyer point following good Edel Hayden work offered hope.
But with Carlow now pressing the Fermanagh restarts leaving room at the back, the flying Danielle Maguire made hay in the sunshine hitting 3 of her own only interrupted by a Ní Shé free, 1-16 to 2-3 in the 52 min.
Hanley made a fine save soon after. Then in the 58th minute Joanne Doonan found herself in the sin bin, Ní Shé uncharacteristically hitting the resultant free wide, the blatant pull of Sawyer’s jersey when clear through from sub Beibhinn Nolan’s pass saw her brilliantly point from the advantage (the punishment not fitting the crime) before fellow sub Siofra O’ Neill netted to conclude the scoring.
A better 2nd half no doubt from Carlow , their games now complete, they await the outcome of the last round of fixtures, Fermanagh on this showing will have a big big say in who walks up the steps of the Hogan Stand in the coming weeks
Scorers – Fermanagh Carlow
E Smyth 1-4 ( 0-1f ) R Sawyer 1-2
D Maguire 0-4 M Townsend 1-0
B Bogue 0-3 S O’Neill 1-0
A McCabe 0-2 C Ní Shé 0-2f
J Doonan 0-1
L Maguire 0-1
N McManus 0-1
Elsewhere in the All Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship it finished Carlow 1-10, Kerry 3-13.
Kate Nolan’s introduction at half time left Carlow with high hopes but the Kingdom held on in Lixnaw on the day.
Liam Doyle and co have done great work since taking over after the early season turbulence and they’ve been commendable in their performances throughout the season.
Their next game sees them take on Antrim this Saturday at 1pm in the Netwatch Training Centre where they currently sit in 4th place in the table.
