Aisling Moane powers through two Down players.
Fermanagh … 1-06
Down …… 0-15
Down were deserving winners as they exacted revenge on Fermanagh to wrestle away the Ulster Intermediate crown from the Erne ladies.
Fermanagh had got the better of Down in the corresponding fixture last year but on this occasion there was to be no denying the Mourne girls.
The game had been switched from Healy Park Omagh after the Ulster ladies senior final between Armagh and Monaghan moved to Clones as the curtain raiser to the men’s Ulster semi final between the same two counties.
This meant a trip to Aughnamullen for Fermanagh and Down ladies and for the champions this was a disappointing performance as they failed to gain enough meaningful possession to take the game to the opposition. The holders adopted a more defensive system than that had been adopting and when they did foray into the Down defence they were much to reliant on the Little sisters, Caroline and Sharon who accounted for all but two points of Fermanagh’s total.
It was to be the second half where Down made their dominance pay outscoring Fermanagh 12 points to three as they made sure they were to return home with the trophy in their care. Aileen Pyers was the star performer for the winners as she finished with six points to her name but in truth this was a team performance that Fermanagh simply did not have the answer to.
The first half was an even enough affair with the sides going in level at the break. Caroline Little had scored the only goal of the game after just ten minutes. Her rasping shot was deflected by a Down defender up and over the head of a stranded Katie Farrell to nestle in the net. But this was as good as it got for the Erne girls. Down were able to keep in touch with Grainne McClean, who was accurate from frees, and Sinead McNamee who raided for two points while Lisa Morgan kicked the score of the game for the eventual winners. Down had made a number of changes that really helped their team early on in that first half when it looked like Fermanagh might build on their promising start.
Fermanagh had three first half points from Sharon Little as she proved a thorn in the side of the Mourne defence but as the half wore on it was worrying how little ball Fermanagh were getting into their dangerous forwards.
Disaster hit Fermanagh just after the break with the sin binning of Kyla McManus and Down took advantage to strike for the front for the first time. McManus had been ticked twice for what were deemed fouls in the first half and when the referee adjudged her to have fouled again she received her marching orders to the sin bin.
Marcella Monaghan did have a good score for the Fermanagh girls but Pyers answered this before Down substitute Jess Foy put Down ahead. Foy was injured scoring the point in a collision with the Fermanagh goalkeeper and this produced a lengthy delay and when the game resumed it was to be practically all one way traffic. Pyers banged over three quick points to open up a four point lead that was added to by Lauren Cunnigham and although McManus pointed for Fermanagh upon her return to the action the writing was on the wall.
Down were in control over the final few minutes and went into a seven point advantage thanks to the accurate Pyers and Cunnigham before Caroline Little had the last score of the day for a bitterly disappointed Fermanagh.
Down – K. Farrell, O. Boyle, G. Mc Clean (0-3), H. Murray, J. Magee, N. Mc Gowan, S. Fegan, E. Kane, M. Doherty, K. Mc Mullan, C. Fitzpatrick, S. Mc Namee (0-2), A. Pyers (0-6), L. Morgan (0-1), M. Grant
Subs Used – K. Trainor, J. Foy (0-1), L. Cunningham (0-2) and O. Fegan
Fermanagh – S. Murphy, R. Gallagher, A. Mc Hugh, S. Mc Quade, D. Maguire, T. Little, M. Mc Donald, A. Moane, S. Hamilton, K. Mc Manus (0-1), C. Little (1-1), J. Doonan, S. Little (0-3), M. Monahan (0-1), N. Connolly
Subs Used – L. Mc Fedderick and M. Mc Donald
Referee – T. Mc Shea (Donegal)