Errigal Ciaran 1-11 Carrickmore 1-7
The Patrick Fahy and Co Solicitors Ladies Senior Championship final is set to be an all Clogher Valley affair as Errigal Ciaran edged out last year’s beaten finalists Carrickmore at a wet Garvaghey on Wednesday night. The game was a re-fixture after Saturday’s original tie was abandoned due to darkness.
Errigal will now face St Macartan’s within the next month and what a cracking final is in the offing as two of the most free scoring sides this season go head to head.
Four points separated Errigal and Carmen when time was called on Saturday and it was four between them again when the final whistle blew at Tyrone headquarters. A late goal from Maria Canavan proved to be the match-winner after both teams traded some great scores on a difficult night for quality football.
Errigal found themselves ahead by a single point at the break with five different scorers as Gemma Begley’s 0-4 and a Sinead McAleer-O’Neill point kept Carmen in the tie. Last year’s beaten finalists also rode their luck in defence with goalkeeper Clare Donnelly making two good stops. Aine Canavan and championship top scorer Shannon Monaghan extended the gap after the restart but once again Begley kept Carrickmore in touch before a fine goal levelled things just into the last quarter.
Begley collected and sent substitute Clare Gallagher in. She managed to get her shot away despite the attention of Monaghan and Mallon. Grainne McAnenly managed to push the ball clear but only into the path of Etaoine O’Kane who fired low and hard to the net.
Monaghan and Begley traded points as the game entered the final three minutes with the teams level for a fifth time. Kathy McAleer shot wide before we had high drama at the other end.
Shannon Quinn, back from a serious neck injury, landed a stunning long range point for Errigal to edge them in front. The resultant kick-out failed to reach its intended target and full forward Maria Canavan took full advantage to slam home a late, late goal to put four between them and send Errigal through to the decider.
There was great disappointment for the Carmen contingent after such a battling display. Veteran Eilish Gormley, Alannagh Trainor and Laura Maguire worked hard while Begley was full of running. However Errigal were faultless throughout and all over the park they ooze quality and will be real challengers to the champions.
The post LADIES|Errigal Through To Final Meeting With Macs appeared first on Tyrone GAA News.