TG4 All-Ireland Ladies’ JFC semi-final
Fermanagh 2-12 2-10 Limerick
FERMANAGH are bound for Croke Park next month for the All-Ireland junior final after overcoming Limerick in yesterday’s semi-final at Glennon Brother’s Pearse Park.
The Erne county avenged last year’s defeat at the same stage to the same opposition and will now make a fourth final appearance in six years, hoping to land the title for the first time since 2020.
The Ulster champions started brightly, a trio of Eimear Smyth points, including two frees, giving them the early advantage.
However, they were wasteful at times and as the end of the first quarter approached they found themselves trailing by three, Limerick hitting 1-3 without reply including a Roisin Ambrose 13th-minute goal.
That setback seemed to spark Fermanagh into life and the game turned back in their favour as Aoife McCabe, who replaced Niamh McManus in the starting line-up, produced a great finish in the 15th minute to put them into a 1-4 to 1-3 lead.
Smyth doubled the lead in the 24th minute but they could have had a couple of goals before that, Molly McGloin’s effort crashing back off the crossbar and Smyth firing across the front of goal.
At the other end, Kate Kennedy saw her effort also hit the crossbar and Fermanagh cleared, but Limerick did grab a point back through Ambrose. The final say of the half, however, went to Joanne Doonan, who gave Fermanagh a 1-6 to 1-4 half-time lead.
The sides traded the first six points of the second half as Fermanagh held on to their two-point cushion, but they were rocked by a Deborah Murphy goal in the 44th minute which put Limerick back in front at 2-7 to 1-9.
Blaithin Bogue levelled, but two quickfire points for Limerick put them ahead by two with the game in the final quarter.
Fermanagh were then awarded a penalty in the 48th minute when McCabe was fouled and Smyth coolly rolled the back into the back of the net as the Ulster side went one up, 2-10 to 2-9.
Bogue doubled the lead and Smyth, who finished with 1-8, put them three ahead with three minutes remaining.
A Murphy free reduced it to two but they couldn’t find the winner as Fermanagh defended gallantly to book their place in the final on August 4, where there opponents will be Louth, who were 2-11 to 0-11 winners over Carlow in the other semi.
Fermanagh E Smyth 1-8 (1-0 pen, 0-3f);A McCabe 1-1; B Bogue 0-2, J Doonan 0-1
Limerick D Murphy 1-4 (0-3f); R Ambrose 1-2;C Mee, K O’Leary, K Kennedy, C McManus 0-1 each