It was a busy Friday night for the ladies clubs in the county as the various competitions reached the semi final stage.

St Macartans showed all their championship experience as they travelled to Greencastle on Friday night for their semi final clash with host club Sperrin Óg. A quick burst of five unanswered points gave the reigning champions the perfect start. Chloe Mc Caffrey hit five of her team’s nine first half points as Macs reached the break leading 0-9 to 1-2. A converted penalty from Niamh O’Neill helped keep her team in the contest in the first half. The second half saw Sperrin Óg really rise to the challenge and further scores from Niamh O’Neiil and Meaghan Clarke left three points between the teams with ten minutes remaining. Macartans drew on their experience and added four points without reply before finishing the game off with a Cadhla Mc Carroll goal to seal the win.

Final score : Macartans 1-16, Sperrin Óg 1-6

Carrickmore eased through to the intermediate final with a fairly comfortable victory over Killyclogher. The Carmen girls dominated from early on and by half time led 1-10 to 0-2. Eimear Mc Garrity and Megan Mc Cann were outstanding for the winners and they ensured their team maintained their dominance in the second half before pulling away to win 4-15 to 1-8. Killyclogher scorers on the night were Caitlin Kelly 0-5 and Teri Mc Cusker 1-3. Megan Mc Cann (3-2) top scored for Carrickmore while Gemma Begley (0-7), Meabh Mc Elroy (1-1), Clodagh Munroe (0-3) and Eve Loughran (0-2) were also on target.

Moy Edge Out Kildress Ladies in a Thrilling Junior Semi-Final

Kildress Ladies fell by the narrowest of margins, 3-7 to 2-9 to Moy in this thrilling Murphy’s Gaelic Gloves Junior Championship Semi-Final at Gortacladdy.

This game kept the spectators enthralled from start to finish with the result in doubt right to the last minute of injury time. The first-half see-sawed between both sides before they reached half-time level at 1-4 to 2-1, Eilis Keenan goaling brilliantly for Kildress. Shona Jordan got onto the end of a fine team move to score Moy’s  first goal while Emer Currie’s long run and finish to the net for their second was a thing of beauty.

Moy opened up a two point second half lead before Eimear McGarrity’s classy goal put The Tones ahead by a point, a lead which they extended to three, following fine points from Eilis Keenan and Aoife O’Connor.
Nothing was going to be straightforward in this game however and Moy pressed hard before Shona Jordan got the goal that once more leveled things up. Both teams exchanged points before Moy managed to edge ahead yet again with Emer Currie very much to the fore. The game finished with an injury-hit Kildress pressing and coming agonisingly close to getting the one score they so desperately needed but Patricia O’Neill’s goal line clearance secured the win for Moy.

A fine, fine game, very well refereed by Gary Gormley, and Kildress’ best wishes now go with Moy for the Final.

Charleen Quinn | Donna Hagan, Cathy Connolly, Aisling Hagan | Natacha O’Neill, Aoife O’Connor (0-1), Mairead Rafferty | Annie McKenna, Lanaoise Lagan | Eimear McGarrity (1-1), Chloe Tracey (0-3), Eimear McAleer | Eilis Keenan (1-1), Maeve Conway (0-3), Stacy Boone | Ann-Marie Lennon, Emma McKernan, Anna Lennon, Cara Loughran and Marie Daly

Errigal Ciaran 3-10

Aodh Ruadh 1-14

Errigal Ciaran are through to another senior final but only after they were pushed all the way by a very talented Aodh Ruadh side. The Dungannon girls will surely regret their slow start which saw them concede goals to Caitlin Mc Cann and Briege Mullin and a number of missed scoring chances too.

Dungannon had outstanding performers in Niamh Hughes, Emma Jane Gervin and Rebecca Barker whose direct style of play and strong running caused Errigal constant problems.

Aoife Mc Gahan and Lycrecia Donaghy swapped points before another Donaghy point increased the Errigal lead. Mc Gahan added a brace before  Canavan and Donaghy scores put Errigal seven points in front.

By the break though Aodh Ruadh were only three behind. Donaghy (0-2) and Canavan clipped over scores for Errigal and the impressive Donaghy went close for a goal.

Dungannon threw off the shackles and really went for it. Hughes, Mc Gahan, Meabh Mallon and Gervin led the charge with four points. Then came the crucial moment of the game when Errigal keeper Grainne Mc Anenly made a fantastic save  from Mc Gahan’s penalty.

Mc Cann and Canavan missed chances as the pressure on both sides mounted. Aodh Ruadh narrowed the gap with scores from  Aine Mc Nulty and Mc Gahan but Canavan’s converted fiftieth minute penalty put Errigal nine points to the good.

Dungannon realised time was against them and went for broke. Shannon Cunningham made a stunning save to deny Hughes as Gervin(0-2),  Mallon, Mary Cassidy and Mc Nulty hit points. The pressure was very much on the Errigal defence but  Meabh Corrigan, Cunningham and Aine Hamill worked hard  to deny Aodh Ruadh many clear cut chances.

The eight minutes of  injury time deemed like an eternity but a vital point from Corrigan eased the pressure on Errigal and even though Mc Gahan still had time to to score a penalty, it came too late to change the outcome.

Errigal Scorers: Lycrecia Donaghy 0-6, Maria Canavan 1-3, Cailin Mc Cann 1-0, Briege Mullin 1-0, Eimear Corrigan 0-1,

Aodh Ruadh Scorers: Aoife Mc Gahan 1-6, Emma Jane Gervin 0-3, Meabh Mallon, Aine Mc Nulty 0-2 each, Mary Cassidy 0-1

Coalisland 4-9  Clonoe 2-8

A blistering second half performance against great rivals Clonoe saw Coalisland Ladies through to the Junior championship final.

A large crowd enjoyed a fabulous advertisement for Ladies football in Fr Peter Campbell Park on Friday night.

The home side got off to a great start with a goal and a point from Caelainn O’Donnell and Eadaoin Early to take a four point lead.However the Rahillys roared back with county star Orlagh Gavin especially causing lots of problems for the Fianna defence.

Clonoe went in at half-time leading by three points on a score of 2-4 to 1-4, the Fianna’s other points of the half coming from Early, Laura McNally and Nicole Murphy.

In the second half Coalisland attacked relentlessly and after a few wayward efforts the scores came. Una McSherry, Caoimhe Coyle and Nicole Murphy bagged goals apiece for the slick moving Fianna forward line with three points from Early from frees and Murphy and Coyle also slotting over. Despite their best efforts and a huge support, Clonoe could only manage four further points as they relied mostly on break-outs from the relentless pressure. They did however compete right to the end and were unlucky with a number of goal chances in the dying minutes.

Coalisland will seek to atone for last year’s defeat when they lost the final to Edendork. They await the winners of Kildress and Moy who meet in the other semi-final.

Coalisland scorers: Eadaoin Early 0-5 (3F) Nicole Murphy 1-2 Caoimhe Coyle 1-1

Caelainn O’Donnell 1-0 Una McSherry  1-0 Laura McNally 0-1