Busy Finals Day For Ladies

Sunday 06.10.2024

Ladies Football

The Tyrone Ladies Committee put a serious amount of work into their championship finals day with all three grades being competed for and were rewarded with three highly competitive and very entertaining matches.

The Junior final saw Beragh pip Drumragh while the intermediate produced a real clinker of a contest before Cookstown emerged victorious over Division Two League champions Coalisland Fianna.

The real drama was reserved however for the senior final which saw Macartans come from six points down to take the game to extra time before eventually seeing  off the challenge of a very talented Carrickmore side on a final score of 3-11 to 2-10.

Drumragh enjoyed a very productive first half in their Junior clash with Beragh. With Neamh Cleary in outstanding form the Sarsfields opened up a five point lead over their opponents with free taker Caoimhe Mc Carron firing over four frees. Beth Donaghy stretched the gap to five on twenty minutes before Keeva Owens finally broke her team’s scoring duck. A further point from Grace O’Neill sent the Sarsfields off at the break well paced leading 0-6 to 0-1.

Beragh now had the assistance of the breeze and made good use of it with three early second half points from Ciara Mc Namee, Zara Montague and Keeva Owens. Drumragh looked rattled but were boosted by an opportunistic goal from Aine Mc Manus. However that score seemed to lift Beragh and a goal from super sub Dervla Farley followed by points from Farley and Elizabeth Mc Garvey closed the gap to a single point.

Aine Mc Manus scored an excellent point to send Drumragh two clear again but Beragh’s response saw them take the lead for the first time. Dervla Farley pointed before Jane Lyons got on the end of an excellent team move to hit the net with her team’s second goal.

Beth Donaghy hammered over another point before Farley rounded off her team’s scoring with another goal to complete the turn around,

Final score: Beragh 3-6, Drumragh 1-10

The second of the day’s three finals saw Cookstown and Coalisland clash in the Intermediate championship final. Early goals from Cara Mc Moran and Nicole Murphy from the penalty spot gave the Fianna the perfect start. Cookstown got the comeback started with a point from the superb Amy Sheehan but before they could build on that score Coalisland had added a further 1-1 courtesy of team captain Murphy.

Cookstown were awarded a lifeline with a converted penalty from Sheehy and closed the gap further through an Aoibhin Devlin goal and a brace of Amy Sheehy points.

The Fr Rocks were well and truly back in the game with Lauren Mc Gillion driving them forward at every opportunity while making herself available for defensive clearances when required. Emma Jane Gervin added another point for Coalisland but Amy Sheehy reduced the gap once more with a further brace of Cookstown points. Eadoin Early completed the first half scoring with a point right on the stroke of half time to leave the score at the break 3-4 to 2-5.

The second half was much more attritional than the first with both sides defences dominating play. Amy Sheehy added another brace but Nicole Murphy responded for the Fianna. A fine finish from Laura Mc Gillion for Cookstown’s third goal put the Fr Rocks two clear and suddenly it was Coalisland doing the chasing and making mistakes in shot selection and possession.

Mc Gillion and Sheehy added another point apiece to their team’s tally to put four between them but Coalisland responded with three scores from Emma Jane Gervin to leave one in it with time running out.

Cookstown were made to weather the storm but their defence dug deep and held out for a historic 3-9 to 3-8 win.