Errigal Group Derry Senior Championship semi-finals
Slaughtneil 2-12 Lavey 1-5
Swatragh 2-16 Ballinascreen 2-6
SLAUGHTNEIL and Swatragh will face each other in the Derry decider for the third successive season after both sides enjoyed 10-point victories on Saturday in contrasting fashion, with a stiff breeze a decisive factor.
The holders had first use of the elements in their tie with Lavey in Ballinderry and raced into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead, with Tina Bradley hitting the target for all three scores in the opening five minutes.
Their shooting was a little off for a period after that, but they still led by 0-6 to 0-2 in the 16th minute when Lavey got a bit of luck, Emma Collins’ shot from 40 metres taking a deceptive bounce and ending up in the net.
Slaughtneil, however, hit back within 60 seconds with a second long-range point from Cliona Mulholland and then Bríd Rogers cut in from the right corner to find the net. Rogers, Caoimhe Kearney and a Bradley free finished the scoring for the first half at 1-10 to 1-2.
No better team than the 10-in-a-row chasing Emmetts to hold a lead by closing a game out. Lavey managed just three second-half points, while conceding a single pointed free to Tina Bradley up until injury-time. Sub Lucy McKaigue then hit the net and Mulholland took another excellent point to close the scoring.
By contrast, Swatragh played into the breeze in Castledawson and despite opening the scoring with a point from Eimear Murray, they were trailing by 2-4 to 0-4 by half-time.
Aoife Doyle found Mary McCullagh for the first goal in the 12th minute, putting the ‘Screen 1-2 to 0-1 ahead. The second goal was a shot for a point from Orla McGuigan from an acute angle that dipped in at the far corner.
Unlike Lavey though, Swatragh quickly got into their stride despite conceding the opening score inside 20 seconds to Amy Rose Mulligan. Bronagh McCullagh and Aoibhean Mullan both hit the target before Máiréad McNicholl began her exhibition of free-taking.
Three in a row from McNicholl had reduced the gap to two points and then Emma Quinn looped a shot over the advancing Kathryn Connery for a goal to put Swatragh ahead.
Five minutes later the game was all over bar the shouting when Emma Quinn flicked home Shauna Quinn’s cross-field shot for a second Swatragh goal.
McNicholl went on to register eight excellent points from frees and topped it off with a late point from play.
The final will be on Sunday, October 20.
Down Senior Championship semi-finals
Portaferry 0-12 Liatroim 0-10
Clonduff 3-14 Ballygalget 0-9
BOTH of last year’s finalists fell by the wayside yesterday afternoon as Clonduff and Portaferry reached next weekend’s Down senior final together for the first time since 2019.
Portaferry were first in action and they raced into a 0-7 to 0-1 interval lead over the holders Liatroim Fontenoys in Ballycran.
Saoirse Sands opened the scoring from a free and Niamh Mallon, with three points, and Eva Gallagher took the Ards’ side to five points before Liatroim eventually opened their account with a point from Kelly Duffin in the 19th minute.
Earlier, Dearbhla Magee had seen two efforts come back off the post, the second just inches from going over the line for a goal.
Crucially, during the third quarter, two points each from Mallon and Sands pushed Portaferry into a seven-point lead and they needed it to shield a Liatroim fightback driven by Aimee McAleenan.
The gap was down to two points with five minutes remaining, but Mallon steadied the ship with her seventh point and the Ports had reached the decider for the first time since they won their only crown in 2021.
Later in the afternoon, their neighbours Ballygalget put it up to favourites Clonduff in the first half in Kilclief, with Ciara Fitzsimons pointing seven times.
Paula O’Hagan responded with five frees and Sara Louise Graffin added a point from play to leave Clonduff a point adrift at the break.
O’Hagan goaled on the re-start and from that stage there was going to be just one winner. Fifteen minutes into the half, the second goal came from Fionnuala Carr, another veteran of all nine of the Hilltown side’s victories to date, while O’Hagan scored her second goal seven minutes from the end on her way to a personal tally of 2-10.
Mannok Cavan Senior Championship semi-final
Crosserlough 0-9 Laragh 0-6
HOLDERS Crosserlough ground out a three-point victory on Saturday to reach next weekend’s Cavan final against Denn.
2021 champions Laragh didn’t make it easy for them and took the lead after less than 30 seconds with a point from Christina O’Reilly.
Cara O’Reilly responded with three points from frees before 10 minutes were gone and the holders went on to lead by 0-6 to 0-1, before two late frees from Aislinn Keenaghan tightened the game at 0-6 to 0-3 at the break.
Laragh brought the gap down to a single point on the re-start with points from Emma Plunkett and Niamh Keenaghan, but Crosserlough found their second wind in the final quarter and points from Hannah Boylan, Sinéad McKenna (free) and Shauna Lynch got them home.
Later in the afternoon, Crosserlough claimed the intermediate title with a 3-6 to 1-5 win over Ballinagh. Lauren Briody, Ailbhe McEnerney and Erica Joyce were their goal-scorers.
