MFC U20A FINAL
Loreto, Cavan 5-8 St. Mary’s, Magherafelt 1-6
A dominant display, which included five goals helped Loreto, Cavan to the MFC Ulster U20A Schools title at the expense of St. Mary’s Magherafelt in Brewster Park on Tuesday evening.
The Breffni side had a dream start, being awarded a penalty with just 1 minute 6 seconds on the clock. Player of the match Sarah Clarke dispatched the resulting penalty to set her side on their way. Further Loreto points followed from Ailbhe Kennedy and Ellie Brady before Jemma Shivers opened St. Mary’s account in the 11th minute.
Entering the second quarter, Kate Fegan pointed for Loreto before Aoife Doherty fired over a brace of points for the Derry side. Between Doherty’s points there was a let off for Loreto as Shivers 17th minute shot flashed across the goalmouth and narrowly wide. Loreto finished the half strong. Katie Mc Gahern and Kate Fegan both goaled while the last score of the half was a point from the excellent Katie O’Mara. While leading at the break 3-4 to 0-3 Loreto were dealt a blow with Kennedy being sin binned.
Mary’s opened the second half scoring, with a Leah Stewart point but then disaster struck. Aoife Doherty’s high ball into the square somehow stayed out of the goal, Loreto gained possession and, in a flash, went the length of the field were corner forward Kate Fegan finished to the net. This was the start of a Loreto purple patch which seen full forward O’Meara hit 1-3 without reply.
To St. Mary’s credit they never gave up and were rewarded with a goal of their own when Doherty’s rocket of a shot rattled the net in the 19th minute. Doherty then brought her tally to 1-3 with a nice point. With ten minutes remaining both teams emptied their bench. Sarah Clarke and Brooke Taylor then exchanged points before referee David Hurson brought matters to an end.
In her acceptance speech Loreto Captain Ellie Brady said she was delighted to win the title in her final year at the school. Sarah Clarke was named MFC player of the match. Next up for Loreto is a mid-March, All-Ireland semi-final.
Loreto Cavan
A.McDermot, K.Cahill, D.McGovern, N.Smith, A.Kennedy (0-1), C.Crowe, K.McSeain, E.Brady (0-1), R.Gilmartin, L.Miney, S.Clarke (1-1), K.Bartley, K.McGahern (1-0), K.O’Meara (1-4) and K.Fegan (2-1)
Subs Used
C.O’Reilly, M.Donohue, A.Galligan, A.Smith and R.Boyle Drought
St. Mary’s Magherafelt
R.McGurk, A.Rocks, S.Scullion, A.Gilligan, M.McLarnon,L.Scullion, C.McKeefry, A.Henry, E.Convery, A.O’Neill, J.Shivers (0-1), L.Loughran, L.Stewart (0-1), A.Doherty (1-3) and A.Shivers
Subs Used
E.Forbers, B.Taylor (0-1), E.Rafferty and A.McCann
Referee
D.Hurson (Monaghan)
Sunday was a busy day for the Ulster counties with 3 in action in the LIDL league and 4 playing in the U16 provincial competition. The results were as follows:
LIDL NATIONAL LEAGUE
The Ulster U16 competition gets underway on Sunday next with 4 games scheduled. All have 2pm starts
Armagh v Cavan – McKeever Park, Killean
Derry v Donegal – Owenbeg
Down v Monaghan – Bright
Tyrone v Antrim – Newtownstewart
The LIDL National League continues on Sunday with 3 sides from the province in Division 4 action. Antrim and Fermanagh currently share top spot. All games have a 2pm throw in:
Derry v Sligo – Owenbeg
Antrim v Longford – Dunsilly
Wicklow v Fermanagh – St. Patrick’s
The Ulster underage competitions got underway on Saturday last with two minor games played in Group 2.
Round one seen victories for Armagh and Antrim over Monaghan and Down respectively.
Armagh 2-10 Monaghan 2-5
Down 0-3 Antrim 2-11
Compiled by John Fallon
HOLDERS Armagh made it three wins from three in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League at the weekend.
The Orchard County followed up impressive victories against Kerry and Tyrone by getting the better of Dublin at Parnell Park by 0-11 to 2-4.
Niamh Reel kicked five points as the defending champions held off a late surge from Dublin to maintain their winning start to the campaign.
A goal from Kate Sullivan after 18 minutes kept Dublin in touch but they trailed by 0-6 to 1-2 at the interval.
Reel’s fourth of the afternoon extended Armagh’s lead after the restart and efforts from Caroline O’Hanlon (free), substitute Caoimhe McNally and Niamh Henderson pushed them further clear but they faced a nervous finish when Niamh Hetherton got a Dublin goal three minutes from time to reduce the deficit to the minimum.
Meath also maintained their impressive start with a third straight victory, this time against visitors Waterford as Kerrie Cole helped herself to an outstanding haul of 2-2 at Pairc Tailteann in Navan as they withstood a strong final quarter fightback from Waterford to triumph by 2-11 to 1-13.
Cole rattled the net inside the opening 30 seconds for her fourth goal in just three games this year but 1-2 from Lauren McGregor kept Waterford in touch at 1-9 to 1-4 at the interval.
Cole’s second goal after 33 minutes extended Meath’s lead but they had to dig deep to stave off a spirited Waterford finish.
Elsewhere in the top flight, TG4 All-Ireland senior champions Kerry made it back-to-back wins as they saw off Kildare at Fitzgerald Stadium by 2-10 to 0-7.
Siofra O’Shea struck for 1-4 and Danielle O’Leary for 1-3 as Kerry had too much power for a Kildare side that kept trying to the end in an entertaining game.
O’Leary’s goal after ten minutes saw Kerry lead by 1-3 to 0-3 at the break before O’Shea’s goal in the 38th minute put Kerry into a commanding 2-6 to 0-4 lead and they never looked back.
And in a crucial tie at the bottom of the table, Tyrone finally registered their first points of the season when they came from behind to oust Mayo by 1-15 to 2-11 in Swinford.
A goal from Clodagh Keane put Mayo into a commanding 1-9 to 0-5 interval lead but Tyrone used the wind in the second half and fought back after Sinead Walsh got Mayo’s second goal, with Chloe McCaffrey, who finished with 0-7, leading the way.
A goal from Sorcha Gormley got Tyrone level and while Erin Murray edged Mayo back in front, Tyrone finished strongly and two points from Niamh O’Neill secured an invaluable win for the Ulster side.
In Division 2, Kate Slevin hit the net for Galway from a penalty at the end of the first half to leave then 1-8 to 0-8 ahead at the break. Roscommon hit a second half goal through Abby Curran but result wasn’t in doubt as Galway notched their third win since being relegated.
Cork defeated Tipperary by 3-12 to 0-9. Tipperary battled well early on but were rocked by two goals in a minute on the 20th mark with Orlaith Roche and Laura O’Mahony putting Cork in to a 2-2 to 0-7 half-time advantage. Emma Cleary hit a third goal for Cork in the second half to make sure of the result.
Goals from Ailish Considine and Teresa Collins, along with a haul of 0-6 from Fidelma Marrinan, helped Clare to a 2-17 to 0-7 win over Westmeath.
Donegal snatched a 1-7 to 0-8 win over Monaghan when captained Roisin Rodgers got a last minute goal to secure victory.
Cavan, Laois, Limerick and Louth secured victories in Division 3.
There were two games in Division 4, where Fermanagh got the better of Longford by 4-14 to 4-8, and Leitrim pipped Wicklow by 1-11 to 3-4.
RESULTS
Lidl National Football League Division One Round Three
Armagh 0-11 Dublin 2-4
Kerry 2-10 Kildare 0-7
Tyrone 1-15 Mayo 2-11
Meath 2-11 Waterford 1-13
Lidl National Football League Division Two Round Three
Donegal 1-7 Monaghan 0-8
Galway 1-18 Roscommon 1-11
Cork 3-12 Tipperary 0-9
Clare 2-17 Westmeath 0-7
Lidl National Football League Division Three Round Three
Cavan 6-17 Carlow 1-4
Laois 2-11 Down 4-3
Limerick 5-12 Offaly 1-4
Louth 1-6 Wexford 0-6
Lidl National Football League Division Four Round Five
Fermanagh 4-14 Longford 4-8
Lidl National Football League Division Four Round Two (refixed)
Leitrim 1-11 Wicklow 3-4
