February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Mayo 1-22, Monaghan 1-4
The first of the semifinals between Mayo and Monaghan was a one-side affair with the Connaught women dominating from the start.
Mayo were first to put their names on the scoreboard with two fine points from Karen McClafferty. The Monaghan defense were rattled by the Mayo forward line, with Denise Durnion and McClafferty taking shots from every angles, and were converted into scores.
Monaghan came back in the second half with Breda O’Neill adding a fine goal, but it was a little to late to narrow the margin.
Mayo: Denise Durnion 0-11, Cathy McKenna 1-1, Karen McClafferty 0-5, Sharon Gallagher, Ellen McGrail and Fiona Ward 0-1 each, Una Kennedy 0-2.
Monaghan: Sheila Sexton 0-2, Norma McClafferty, Frances Brendan 0-1, Breda O’Neill 1-0.
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Players of the game: Karen McClafferty (Mayo), Siobhan Donovan (Monaghan).
Cavan 4-12, Kerry 1-5
The Kerry women started off the game with a lovely pass from Julia Enright down the line to Evelyn McDermott, who took her shot and put it over the bar.
But in the end it was Cavan who prevailed and do so on the strength of Rosie O’Reilly, Nadine Donherty and Ger Mahon, who took their scores from all angles of the field.
The Kerry keeper had trouble clearing the ball at times, and this was a crucial miss when Karen Shavley caught the ball and passed it off to Claire Bennett, who found the back of the net. Minutes later, Bennett found the back of the net a second time, giving her side a comfortable lead going into the second half.
In the second half, Cavan were first to the ball with Justine Clifford sending it up the line into the capable hands of Doherty with nothing left to do but put it over the bar.
Kerry also took a chance at goal but were denied by Cavan keeper Sharon Levins. A second try later by Tracy Rice broke through the cavan defense and took her shot and secured it in the back of the Cavan net, but it was not enough on this hot day to catch up with this very strong Ulster side, who will now go through to meet Mayo in the Anne Kearney final on June 10 in Gaelic Park.
Cavan: Nadine Doherty 0-5, Ger Mahon 0-4, Rosie O’Reilly 1-2, Claire Bennett 2-1, Karen Shavley 1-0.
Kerry: Maureen O’Driscoll 0-2, Tracy Rice 1-1, Yvonne Rabbit 0-1, Evelyn McDermott 0-1.
Players of the game: Siobhan Neville (Cavan), Kathleen Hickey (Kerry).