Page 51 - INTO THE WEST - March-April 2018

LIDL IRELAND LADIES NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
SEMI-FINAL
DELIGHT: Clodagh McManamon of Mayo celebrates after their NFL tie at St Brendan’s Park.
Photo: Ramsey Cardy/SPORTSFILE
INTO THE WEST – Page 51
Mayo continue to thrive
Mayo ................1-20 SCork ..................3-12
By BILL KIELY Media West Ireland
Finn scored the equaliser.
Finn was the chief threat throughout for
Cork and she went on to score an amazing tally of 1-9 on the day. But with 16 points between Sarah rowe and Grace Kelly, Mayo had a better all-round team
effort.
However, after rowe got her
ArAH rowe was top scorer for Mayo once again, and her personal tally of nine points, helped them to a narrow
first point, Cork assumed complete control, and points from Ciara O’Sullivan and Finn, were added to by a brilliant goal from Coppinger.
two-point win over Cork in the Ladies national Football League semi-final at Birr.
Even at this early stage Mayo looked in real trouble, having to face into the wind in the second half. But
to their credit they remained
composed.
Finn got her third point by the seventh minute and that opened up a 1- 4 to 0-2 advantage for Cork.
Cork were in search of their sixth nFL crown in a row, but they were dethroned by the determined westerners who set up a rematch of last year’s All-ireland final, where Mayo fell to defeat at the hands of dublin.
Mayo had not featured in a league final since 2016 but Sinead Cafferky’s goal was one of the crucial scores on the day for the Connacht outfit.
Cafferkey and O’Sullivan traded scores before rowe scored a couple of points to bring Mayo back into contention.
Mayo were 0-14 to 2-7 in front at half-time, and despite two goals from Libby Coppinger and an Orla Finn effort, Mayo held on for victory.
Then there was a turning point when Coppinger was fouled by Emma Lowther and Sorcha Murphy did well to save the penalty from Eimear Scally.
Mayo had a strong wind behind them in the first half but the teams traded scores with Grace Kelly opening Mayo’s account, before
Cork scored their second first half goal just before the break, and she added a point for her side to trail by just one at the interval.
Coppinger finished her second goal four minutes after half-time, but trailing 3-8 to 0-15 Mayo finally responded.
Fiona McHale, rowe and Grace Kelly all scored before Cafferky’s late goal sealed the win for Mayo.
SCORERS – Mayo: S Rowe 0-9 (4f), G Kelly 0-7 (3f), S Cafferky 1-1, N Kelly, A Gilroy, F Mchale 0- 1 each.
Cork: O Finn 1-9 (5f), L Coppinger 2-0, C O’Sulli- van
0-2, E Scally 0-1.
MAYO: S Murphy; O Conlon, S Tierney, S Ludden; D Caldwell, E Lowther, D Hughes; C McManamon, A Gilroy; F McHale, F Doherty, S Cafferky; N Kelly, S Rowe, G Kelly. Subs: M Corbett for S Ludden, R Kearns for S Murphy, S Howley for F Doherty. CORK: M O’Brien; M Ambrose, E Meaney, E Spillane; M O’Callaghan, M Duggan, S Kelly; A Hutchings, B O’Sullivan; C O’Sullivan, C Collins, O Farmer; L Coppinger, E Scally, O Finn. Subs: A O’Sullivan for M Ambrose, A Barrett for S Kelly. REFEREE: Brendan Rice (Down).
TARGET: Mayo forward Sarah Rowe gets her shot away before she is blocked down by Brid O’Sullivan (left) and Eimear Meaney of Cork in their Ladies NFL semi-final at Birr.
Photo: Ramsey Cardy/SPORTSFILE