Monaghan 4-13
Cavan 1-4
CAITRIONA MCCONELL SPARKLED for Monaghan as they were convincing winners over Cavan in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC qualifiers at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday afternoon.
With the hosts coming in on the back of a huge win over Down and Monaghan having lost to Donegal in the Ulster final, a tight game may have been expected but the Farney women were in devastating form once they surged ahead late in the first half.
Before that, it had been a close affair. Cavan’s Roisín O’Keeffe hit the post with a goal effort early on and was then fouled for a penalty. While Aisling Doonan’s spot-kick was savedby Linda Martin, the full-forward was on hand to convert the rebound.
Points from McConnell drew Monaghan level at 1-2 to 0-5, however, and then Ellen McCarron goaled after Cavan goalkeeper Jennifer Kane was pressured well. Monaghan should have pushed further ahead only for poor shooting, but points before the break from Caoimhe Mohan and McConnell gave them a five-point advantage.
An unanswered 2-3 upon the resumption served to put the outcome beyond any doubt. McConnell, McCarron and McAnespie all pointed before McConnell struck for a goal, with Kane injuring herself as she almost kept out the rasping shot.
On the three-quarter mark, McConnell got her second and Cavan’s third goal after her initial effort was kept out and sub goalkeeper Elaine Ward had to save well to prevent her getting a hat-trick immediately after.
Doonan did end the Cavan wait for a second-half score and O’Keeffe also pointed late on but it was Monaghan’s day. Mohan and McAnespie both tacked on points and, with five minutes left, McConnell capped a wonderful display as she got her third goal to help leave 18 points between the teams at the end.
Scorers for Monaghan: C McConnell 3-6 (0-4f), E McCarron 1-1, C McAnespie 0-3, C Mohan 0-2, C Courtney 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cavan: A Doonan 1-3 (0-3f), R O’Keeffe 0-1f.
MONAGHAN: L Martin; J Geoghegan, S Courtney, G McNally; A McAnespie, N Fahy, E McAnespie; E McElroy, F Lafferty; C Courtney, C McDermott, C Mohan; C McAnespie, E McCarron, C McConnell.
Subs: L McEnaney for Geoghegan (20), T Fleming for Lafferty (52), T Scott for Mohan (54), R McKenna for McElroy (57), E O’Rourke for McDermott (58).
CAVAN: J Kane; S Lynch, G McGlade, E McDermott; S Reilly, J Moore, S Greene; M Sheridan, R Crowe; R O’Keeffe, D English, S King; R Jordan, A Doonan, C Smith.
Subs: A Kiernan for Lynch (25, injured), E Ward for Kane (43, injured), G Sheridan for Crowe, S Murray for Kiernan (both 44), B Farrelly-McGee for Greene (54).
***
Armagh 1-12
Westmeath 0-9
Kelly Mallon’s goal midway through the second half was key in helping Armagh to advance, to the quarter-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC as they prevailed against a game Westmeath outfit at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturdayevening.
The sides had been evenly matched for three-quarters of the encounter and were tied at 0-7 each when Aimee Mackin pointed a supreme effort to put Armagh back in front. Moments later, centre-forward Mallon charged through the middle and sent a crashing shot to the Westmeath net, with a point from the same player leaving five between the teams straight after that. Westmeath did battle hard to get back into the game but, while they did reduce the lead, a game remained elusive and Armagh march on to the last eight, where they will face Donegal.
Early on, points from Mallon and Mackin suggested that Armagh would easily live up to their favourites’ billing but the sin-binning of Caitlin Malone disrupted their rhythm and Westmeath got going with scores from Maud-Annie Foley and Johanna Maher.
Two points from Mackin sandwiched a free by player of the game Caroline O’Hanlon – who was celebrating her birthday – as Armagh sought to reassert themselves, but by half-time Westmeath were level, with Fiona Leavy, Foley (free) and Karen McDermott all on target.
Karen Hegarty put Westmeath ahead for the first time in the second half’s nascent stages and then Leavy extended that advantage, but it was as good as it got for them. Fionnuala McKenna and Aoife McCoy tied matters once more before Armagh surged ahead, with Mallon’s goal critical.
Chloe Kelly and Maher did have further Westmeath points but Armagh defended well against the goal threat. Aoife Lennon, McKenna and Mackin were all on target as they pulled away in the closing stages.
Scorers for Armagh: A Mackin 0-5, K Mallon 1-2, F McKenna 0-2, C O’Hanlon (0-1f), A Lennon, A McCoy 0-1.
Scorers for Westmeath: MA Foley (0-1f), K McDermott, F Leavy 0-2 each, K Hegarty, C Kelly, J Maher 0-1 each.
ARMAGH: K Daly; M Tennyson, C Morgan, T McCoy; S Reel, S McCleary, N Marley; C Malone, C O’Hanlon; A McCoy, K Mallon, L McConville; S Marley, F McKenna, A Mackin.
Subs: C McCambridge for McCleary (9, injured), A Lennon for Malone (36), M Sheridan for T McCoy (37), M McGuinness for McCambridge (49), C Marley for A McCoy (50).
WESTMEATH: S Keegan; C Finch, J Rogers, A Martin; C Blundell, F Claffey, L Brennan; T Durkan, E Morris; MA Foley, J Maher, F Leavy; K Boyce-Jordan, K Hegarty, K McDermott.
Subs: S Dolan for McDermott (46), C Kelly for Finch (49), F Coyle for Blundell (49, injured).
