Heartbreak for Limerick in All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football semi-final

IT was heartbreak for Limerick in a hugely dramatic TG4 All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football semi-final as Fermanagh booked their place in this year’s All-Ireland final after a 2-12 to 2-10 win in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Longford this Sunday evening. 

Goals were a plenty in this semi-final with Fermanagh’s penalty with only ten minutes left in the game proving to be the deciding factor in the game. 

An incredible save by Megan McGuire of Fermanagh from a Fiona Brawdshaw shot during Limerick’s first attack of the game opened the proceedings in Longford.

Fermanagh worked a lovely score after four minutes to put their first point on the board through full-forward Eimear Smyth. The Lake County pressed up on Limerick’s kick-outs with the Treaty ladies struggling to get out of their own half.

A push in the back from a Limerick player costed them another score with Smyth making no mistake with her next two shots putting Fermanagh 0-3 to 0-0 ahead after eight minutes. 

Limerick finally got a score on the board after being awarded the free from the 45-yard line Deborah Murphy found an on running Cathy Mee who did well to fight off the tackles and get the point. 

This scored spurred Limerick on as  Deborah Murphy was awarded a free in front of the Fermanagh goal which she slotted over herself. 

An overcarry by Fermanagh gifted Limerick another free and leveled the game as Limerick gave Fermanagh a taste of their own medicine as the kick-out dropped into Murphy’s hands. The Monagea half-forward found Róisín Ambrose who slapped the ball into the net to put Limerick 1-3 to 0-4 ahead after 14 minutes. 

This lead did not last long though as Fermanagh came straight back down and once again found Eimear Smyth who showed her skill to fire the ball over with her left leg. 

A poor executed kick-out by the Treaty Ladies left their defence totally exposed as within three passes Fermanagh found the back of the net through Aoife McCabe to give them back the one-point lead.

The first-half took went into a lull period after the two goals from either side with the next score of the half coming from Fermanagh’s Eimear Smyth after 25 minutes, who linked well with Aoife McCabe to work a score. 

Limerick were extremely unlucky not to score another goal as Kate Kennedy’s shot rattled the cross bar and came back out again but Ambrose worked hard to get the possession back for her side to slot over a point. 

Despite registering eight wides it was Fermanagh that lead Limerick by two-points at the break 1-6 to 1-4. 

Once again it was Fermanagh’s Eimear Smyth that opened the scoring proceedings in the first two minutes of the second-half. This point was replied by a lovely team score from Limerick to keep them within touching distance of their opponents. 

Limerick’s attack sprung into life with the Treaty ladies getting the next three points from Debroah Murphy, Kate Kennedy and Karen O’Leary before Fermanagh’s Aoife McCabe pushed them ahead by two-points again. 

A bullet of a goal from non other than Deborah Murphy from a fantastic Kate Kennedy pass put Limerick 2-7 to 1-9 ahead after 45 minutes in the game. 

Limerick looked to be well on top after two quick points from Caoimhe MacNamara and Róisín Ambrose but Fermanagh were not quitting as Aoife McCabe was awarded a penalty on the other end of the pitch in which Eimear Smyth made no mistake with putting Fermanagh one-point ahead with only 10 minutes remaining.

This penalty would be the deciding factor in the game as Fermanagh got the final two points of the half to give them the 2-12 to 2-9 victory. 

SCORERS LIMERICK: Deborah Murphy 1-5 (0-4 frees), Róisín Ambrose 1-2, Cathy Mee 0-1, Kate Kennedy 0-1, Karen O’Leary 0-1, Caoimhe MacNamara 0-1

FERMANAGH: Eimear Smyth 1-8 (1-0 penalty, 0-3 frees), Aoife McCabe 1-1, Joanne Doonan 0-1, Bláithín Bogue 0-1, 

LIMERICK: Sophie Hennessy (Old Mill), Joanne McGuire (St Ailbes), Yvonne Lee (C) (Monagea), Roisin Browne (Monagea), Grace Lee (Monagea), Cathy Mee (Ballylanders), Meadhbh MacNamara (St Ailbes), Róisín Ambrose (Old Mill), Leah Coughlan (Oola), Karen O’Leary (Monagea), Deborah Murphy (Monagea), Caoimhe McGrath (Fr Casey’s), Ellie Woulfe (Monagea), Kate Kennedy (St Ailbes), Fiona Bradshaw (Oola).

SUBS: Grace Mullane (Monagea) for E Woulfe (28 minutes), Caoimhe MacNamara (Knockainey) for C McGrath (Half-Time), Sarah Dillon (Pallasgreen) for G Lee (53 minutes),  Katie Heelan (St Ailbes) for L Coughlan (58 minutes)

FERMANAGH: Megan Maguire, Ciara Clarke, Molly McGloin, Eimear Keenan, Shannan McQuade (C), Courtney Murphy, Cadhla-Cara Bogue, Brenda Bannon, Lisa Maguire, Danielle Maguire, Joanne Doonan, Aoife McCabe, Bláithín Bogue, Eimear Smyth, Bronagh Smyth

SUBS: Niamh McManus for B Smyth (45 minutes), Róisín O’Reilly for E Keenan (61 minutes)

REFEREE: Justin Murphy (Cork)