TG4 All-Ireland Ladies’ JFC Group A, round four
Carlow 3-4 Fermanagh 1-16
A BLISTERING first-half from Fermanagh was enough to see off Carlow at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday.
The win keeps Fermanagh in one of the semi-final places, with Carlow also still there having finished their programme.
The Ulster champions were 1-13 to 1-1 ahead at the break after a hugely impressive 30 minutes from CJ McGourty’s side. They played with intensity and confidence, moving the ball at pace; their support play was excellent; their defensive play, which started in their full-forward line, was as equally as impressive.
Carlow struggled on their own kick-outs, Fermanagh winning multiple possessions and punishing them. It was only when they went short that they began to get some reward but by then they trailed 1-13 to 1-0.
When Carlow did find themselves in Fermanagh territory, the Erne defence were hassling and harrying, putting pressure on Carlow and forcing poor decisions and turnovers.
The only slip-up let Carlow in for a goal after seven minutes, Rachel Sawyer on the end of the move.
Fermanagh were quick out of the blocks and straight from the throw-in raised the white flag, Blaithin Bogue on target.
Eimear Smyth added a brace, her second being their only score of game from a placed ball. Niamh McManus, who started in place of Bronagh Smyth, made it 0-4 to no score by the sixth minute.
After Sawyer’s goal, Fermanagh completely dominated, hitting 1-9 without reply. Smyth’s 23rd-minute goal made up for an earlier miss, when her effort went narrowly wide, and she added three points which were added to by two each from Lisa Maguire, Aoife McCabe and Bogue and one from Joanne Doonan. Cliodhna Ní Shé got an injury-time point for Carlow from a free to leave 12 between them at the break.
A different Carlow emerged after the resumption, taking the game to Fermanagh. They had a number of scoring chances before Townsend found the back of the net five minutes into the half and Rachel Sawyer added a point to reduce the gap to eight.
Danielle Maguire kept Fermanagh ticking over with all three of her side’s second-half points, and it was enough.
Ní Shé and Sawyer added further points for Carlow, who kept going right to the final whistle, their reward a third goal deep into injury-time from substitute Siofra O’Neill.