Cavan booked their place in the final of the Sean Faherty cup with a devastating first half display against Fermanagh. Cavan went on the attack from the throw in as Linda McKeon set up Caitlin Hynes for Cavan's first goal. Over the next five minutes, Emma Clarke taunted the Fermanagh rear guard as she would hit three points and supply the pass to Linda McKeon for a fourth. Aisling Gormley had Fermanagh's opening score after five minutes, but it did little to stem the Breffini tide as Emma Clarke added another brace before she got on the end of a good move involving Rosie O'Reilly, Linda McKeon, and Teresa Marron, to crash in Cavan's second goal. Alisha Jordan struck for a point and Linda McKeon picked up the kick out and went straight through to crash in Cavan's third goal. Another Jordan point prefaced Cavan's next goal which came from a penalty strike from Linda McKeon. At the break, Cavan led by 4-8 to 3 points with Fermanagh's other two coming from Caroline Murphy.
Cavan were quickly out of the blocks in the second with two points. However, Fermanagh stepped up their performance for the next 20 minutes as they would manage to hit 2-5. Loretta Cunningham set up Johanna Levine for the first Fermanagh goal. At the halfway stage, Fermanagh's best score was another goal from Johanna Levine as she cut her way in along the end line to rattle the net. Cavan's dominance had declined somewhat but with ten minutes left, they hit the surge button again as Nicola King cut through the Fermanagh defense to strike another goal. Then Cavan finished with a flurry of points. They now meet old rivals Na Fianna in the final.
Cavan Nora Kilkenny, Bridget Mulligan, Ashley Callery, Caroline McBrien ,Paula Lang, Aoife O'Rourke, Katie McEvoy, Linda McKeon(2-1), Mary Maguire, Alisha Jordan(0-5), Theresa Marron(0-3), Caitlin Hynes(1-0), Nicola King(1-1), Emma Clarke(1-5), Rosie O'Reilly-Broderick Subs Katie Kilkenny, Karen Feeney(0-1), Mairead Hynes, Nicola O'Reilly, Kelly Donoghue(0-2), Aisling Callaghan, Shauna Coyne Fermanagh Caroline McArdle, Noeleen Fitzpatrick TA McCullough, Michaela Nevall Josephine Maguire, Roisin Toner, Johanna Levine(2-0) ,Claire McElroy Maebh DeBurka Caroline Murphy(0-6), Caitlin Slattery, Aisling Gormley(0-1), Emer Tally(0-1), Annie Kelly, Loretta Cunningham Subs Molly Boyle, Saoirse Finnegan, Maria Walsh(0-1), Caitlin Harper, Caitlin McGuigan, Anne Dunleavy, Sharon Redican, Christina Brown, Aisling Clarke, Ann Ryan, Ashley O'Sullivan Referee Dean O'Connor, Player of game Emma Clarke.
Na Fianna pull away in 2nd half
The second semi-final between Na Fianna and Kerry/Donegal was a much more competitive affair, at least for the first half as there was just a goal between the sides at the break. Na Fianna were quickest out of the block as they sprang into an early lead with points from Deirdre Doherty and Oral Egan.
On five minutes, Eilish Ward had Kerry/Donegal's opening score from a free. Na Fianna continued to have the upper hand as they would hit the next three scores as Doherty, Egan, and Aine O'Dwyer pushed them ahead by five points to one after ten minutes. However, at the other end, Denise Dunnion showed that she is still a lethal corner forward as she blew by two defenders for two straight scores.
Na Fianna responded with a brace within a minute to nullify Dunnion's scores. Kerry/Donegal hit a stellar spell as they would hit three consecutive points. However, Na Fianna responded with a move engineered by Molly O'Rourke as she eluded several defenders to lay off the ball to Selena Moylan for a powerful goal.
The momentum switched again to Kerry/Donegal as they hit back with two points to leave just a goal between the sides, 1-9 to 0-9 at the break.
The second half was a totally different kettle of fish as Na Fianna would hit for 3-7 while limiting their opponents to just four points. With early points from O'Rourke and Egan and an Aine O'Dwyer goal, Na Fianna were firmly in the driving seat. Kerry/Donegal's fate wasn't helped as they lost a player to the sin bin and Na Fianna maximized the use of the extra player.
The second half was a long barren spell as twenty minutes had elapsed before Kerry/Donegal had their first score of the period. Further scores rained over for Na Fianna as they cruised to the finish line and must now be favorites to retain their title.
Na Fianna Alison Leyden, Imelda Mullarkey, Jessie Garcia, Stephanie Tierney, Catriona Lynch, Johanna Monaghan, Shannon Spillane, Michelle Brennan, Aine O'Dwyer(1-3), Brianna Tierney, Deirdre Doherty(0-2), Aine Gormley, Selena Moylan(1-0), Molly O'Rourke(1-5), Orlagh Egan(1-5) Subs Joanne McKenna (0-1), Mary O'Rourke, Fiona O'Dwyer, Karen Henry, Bridget Judd, Devon Nugent, Kelly McCormack, Stacey McCann, Beth Higgins Kerry/Donegal Deirdre Maher, Una Burke, Louise Lilly, Cathleen Enright, Niamh Britton, Michelle McVann, Deirdre Foley, Kelly Roche, Catriona Brady(0-1), Anita McKenna, Eilish Ward(0-5), Amanda McGovern(0-1), Denise Dunnion(0-6), Niamh Cunningham, Noelle Brophy Subs Collette McElligiot, Kathleen Hickey, Marie Cassels, Loretta Duffy, Sarah Gleason, Aisling Collum, Ciara Healy, Geraldine Doheny Referee Frank Brady Player of the Game Orlagh Egan
Offaly outclass Galway
Offaly gave another very impressive display as they completely demolished Galway in this one sided encounter. However, Galway got the perfect start as Paul Greville had the ball in the net after thirty seconds. Offaly responded with two points from Pat Hartley before a long range point from Aaron Farrell edged Galway further ahead. The lead did not last for long as Shane McNaughton goaled after four minutes to give his team the lead. Offaly added three further points in quick succession. For the remaining twenty minutes of the half, Offaly were totally in command as they would hit for 1-8 while holding Galway to four points. Offaly lead comfortably at the break by a score of 2-13 to Galway's 1-6.
Little changed in the second half as Offaly struck for another four goals and eight points while limiting Galway to a mere six points. Judging from this display, Offaly have to be strong favorites to lift their fifth title in a row.
Offaly Brian McNaughton, Sean Sullivan, Diarmuid Hehir, Diarmuid Lyng, Richie Gaule, Brendan McGourty(0-1), Eoghan Drumgoole, Shane Kelly(0-1), Donie Broderick(0-3), Enda Condon, Pat Hartley(1-6), Shane Sweeney(3-5), Shane McNaughton(2-5) Subs Matt Cashman, Richie Hartnett, Sean O'Keefe, Ciaran O'Keefe Galway Adrian Mullins, Liam Butler, David Fahy, Paul Cahill, Brian Phelan, Alan Sherlock, Ciaran Geary(0-2), Aaron Farrell(0-2), Glen Galvin, Paul Greville(1-2), Kevin Reilly(0-6), Adrian Purcell, Aiden Moylan Subs Stephen Maroney, Tadgh Lyons, Brian Moore. Referee Eugene Kyne Man of the Match Shane McNaughton
Tyrone edge Kerry in exciting clash
This was an exciting and fast paced senior football clash with the critical goal just before the final whistle giving Tyrone the spoils.
For the most of sixty minutes, there was little between the sides as the game see-sawed back and forth. Niall Farrell opened the scoring for Tyrone after two minutes with a point, but Kerry soon jumped ahead as Sean Reilly was taken down in the square for a penalty. Barry John Walsh blasted the spot kick to the net. However, Kerry's lead was short lived as a long delivery from Mickey Coleman was won by Sean Armstrong and he set up the in-rushing Farrell for a Tyrone goal.
At the other end, Walsh leveled up after CJ Molloy was fouled. Armstrong edged his team ahead with a pointed free. Then Kerry stepped up their production to hit three points to take a two-point lead.
But Tyrone came right back with a point and then went ahead with a well-executed goal from Mickey Sloan which was the culmination of a good move between Armstrong and Donal Hartnett. Kerry and CJ Molloy felt hard done by as his claim for a penalty was denied. However, just before the break Vinnie Gavin sent over one of his long range specials to leave a point between the teams at the break.
On the resumption, Barry John Walsh tied up the game after two minutes, but Niall Cunningham put Tyrone back in front a minute later. On four minutes Kerry got a great boost when CJ Molloy rattled the net making, the most of a long delivery from Mike Jim Fitzgerald.
By the ten-minute mark, Tyrone had leveled up again. The tit for tat nature of the game continued and it seemed headed for a draw until Armstrong got the critical deflection on the ball to knock it into the Kingdom net.
The lead up to the vital score began with Niall Farrell sending a ball into the Kerry goal mouth which the Kingdom defenders seemed to misjudge. Keeper Clifford was hesitant in coming off his goal line, thus allowing Armstrong to beat him to the ball and secure the victory for Tyrone, who are now perched at the top of the senior football table.
Kerry Shane Clifford, Darren Courtney, Kieran Quirke, Niall Corbett, Diarmuid Lyng, Eoghan O'Mahoney, Jonathon Lyng, Ambrose O'Donovan, Mike Jim Fitzgerald, Vinnie Gavin (0-2), Barry John Walsh (1-5), Ross Donovan, Alan O'Donoghue, CJ Molloy (1-2), Sean Reilly Subs David Garvey, Alan Lyng, Conor Ryan Tyrone Damien Corrigan, Paul Mulhern, Aidan Power, Declan Garvey, Steve Keating, Brendan McGourty, Seamus Skeffington, Conor McNabb, Mickey Coleman, Niall Cunningham (0-3), Michael Sloan (1-0), Ciaran Campbell, Niall Farrell (1-2), Sean Armstrong (1-2), Donal Hartnett (0-1) Subs Conor Skeffington, Niall Maguire, Jason Killeen(0-1), Darren Doherty, Paul Cahill, Michael Gallagher, Adam Fitzgerald Referee Sean Jones Man of the Match Sean Armstrong
Cork hold on vs. Leitrim
This was another exciting senior football contest with the issue being decided in the last seconds as Leitrim went frantically in search for a goal. The crossbar denied Johnny Goldrick's effort while the buzzer sounded before Tommy Nolan's shot ended up in the back of the net.
This was a keenly contested affair with the Rebels starting very impressively as they led by 1-3 to nothing after five minutes. First, Jason Kelly pointed a free for an illegal hand pass while Mark Cronin capitalized on sloppy Leitrim passing to cut through the defense to crash in a powerful goal.
Leitrim eventually got some momentum going when a good move involving Dan Doona and Ken O'Connor ended with a Tommy Freeman point after ten minutes.
Three minutes later Leitrim were right in the thick of things when the two O'Connors set up Dan Doona for a Leitrim goal. However, at the other end, Jonathan O'Sullivan scored a point after Mark Cronin laid off a good pass. With ten minutes left, Ken O'Connor leveled up after he latched onto a long ball from Pat Madden. Parity didn't last long as Lehane put his team back in front to leave just a point between the sides at the short whistle.
Though Leitrim started the second half without Pat Madden, they had the Cork goal under siege but they failed to advance the scoreboard. After five minutes, Freeman leveled up from a free for a late hit on Dermot Keane. By the ten minute mark, Leitrim were ahead by two as Freeman and Kieran Tavey hit the target. Once again, Cork stepped up their production as Gary Lowney sent over a spectacular point after a good feed from Jason Kelly. Leitrim responded as Ken O'Connor intercepted a pass to set up Alan O'Sullivan for a point.
However, over the next three minutes Cork would add three points courtesy of Brian Kelleher, Cronin, and Lehane to leave his team ahead by a point with ten minutes left. The tit for tat nature of the game continued as a Freeman point had the sides level again. Cork finished the stronger with three points to just one in reply. Leitrim made a late charge but the crossbar came to the rescue for Cork.
Overall, they were deserving of their victory as they played more consistently throughout the hour while Leitrim sporadically rose to the occasion, plus they were also guilty of wasted chances and unforced errors.
Cork Darren O'Mahoney, John McLoughlin, Liam Hanley, Paddy Harrington, Derek Courtney, Colin Lynch, John Fitzpatrick, Gary Lowney(0-1), Jason Kelly(0-3), Mark Cronin(1-1), Ian Rowland, Francie Clearly, Vinnie Lehane(0-4), Johnny O'Sullivan(0-1), Frank Cloone Subs Tadgh Foley, Pat Mahoney, Brian Kelliher(0-2), Shay Furlong, Gary Hanley, Mike Travers Leitrim Pa Ryan, Johnny Goldrick, Paudge O'Connor, Kevin O'Brien, Kieran Scannell, Alan O'Sullivan(0-1), Ryan Sullivan, Adrian O'Connor(0-2), Dermot Keane, Kieran Tavey(0-1), Pat Madden, Paul Greville, Dan Doona (1-0), Ken O'Connor (0-1), Tommy Freeman(0-6) Subs Jeff Farrell, Tommy Nolan, Paul O'Hara, Collum Cronin, Cathal Matthews, Mike Creegan, Paddy Daly Referee John Fitzpatrick Man of Match Vinnie Lehane
