Carnacon meet their match in Donaghmoyne

Carnacon meet their match

Final

Donaghmoyne 1-10

Carnacon 1-5

Mike Finnerty

Ballinamore

THERE are days when even great teams like Carnacon just have to accept they are second best and that realisation will have dawned on the West Mayo ladies in the aftermath of last Sunday’s All-Ireland club final defeat to their fierce rivals from south Monaghan.

Appearing in their seventh decider in ten years, the defending All-Ireland champions never recovered from an untypically costly and sluggish start, and were beaten into second place long before the hooter sounded on a dark and dreary day in Leitrim.

Donaghmoyne, who also beat Carnacon in the 2006 final, set the agenda from the start, and driven on by the outstanding Courtney sisters (midfielder Cora was the popular choice for player of the match), they attacked the Mayo champions from all angles.

The heavy underfoot conditions took their toll on both sides and spoiled the game as a spectacle, but Donaghmoyne were deserving winners of the Dolores Tyrell Memorial Cup for the first time since 2009.

Carnacon struggled to produce the kind of football that has been a feature of their big game displays down through the years and there was a sense of the well being visited once too often as the match wore on last Sunday.

The thirteen-time county champions scored just twice in the second half and, were it not for a fortuitous goal from Natasha Beegan on 26 minutes, would have been in dire straits at half-time too.

Around the middle the Monaghan ladies ruled the roost as Amanda Casey and the outstanding Cora Courtney eclipsed Claire Egan and Martha Carter, while Carnacon’s defences were under constant attack from Donaghmoyne’s mobile, athletic and imposing forwards.

At the other end, the pacey Sharon Courtney, with a little help from her sister Fiona, restricted Carnacon’s eight-time All Star Cora Staunton to just one point from play.

The holders went seventeen minutes without a score at one stage in the first half and failed to raise a flag for twenty-two minutes during the second period.

Carnacon defenders Caroline McGing and Noelle Tierney could have done very little more for the cause. McGing, in particular, produced an inspirational performance, and kept Donaghmoyne captain Catriona McConnell scoreless from play.

At the end of an eventful and hard-fought first half, Donaghmoyne led by 1-5 to 1-3.

They hit the ground running with a pointed free from Catriona McConnell inside the opening minute and moments later were awarded a penalty after Carnacon goalkeeper, Michelle Higgins , took down Niamh Callan.

McConnell’s well-struck kick hit the post but Fiona Lafferty was following up to drill the ball to an empty net.

Cora Staunton, who wasn’t allowed to impose herself on the game, did stop the rot with a well-taken score on seven minutes but Donaghmoyne had already settled into their stride by that stage.

Three frees from Catriona McConnell and a point from Hazel Kingham eased them ahead by 1-5 to 0-1 by the 22nd minute.

An out-of-sorts Carnacon were chasing shadows but a freakish goal soon after threw them a lifeline when Cora Staunton’s mis-hit free was spilled by Donaghmoyne goalkeeper, Linda Martin, and Natasha Beegan toe-poked the ball over the line.

Fiona McHale also hit the target before the interval as the tide started to turn.

However, any lingering hopes that Jimmy Corbett, Beatrice Casey and Michael McHale may have had for their team were extinguished during the third quarter as Majella Woods (2), Catriona McConnell (2 frees) and Cora Courtney all posted points to put the issue beyond doubt.

The last quarter saw Carnacon throw everything into attack but all they could muster was a free from Cora Staunton as Donaghmoyne defended superbly.

They were not to be denied.

Donaghmoyne

L Martin; J Geoghegan, F Courtney, N Lynch; L Kingham, S Courtney, J Courtney; A Casey, C Courtney (0-1); E McElroy, F Lafferty (1-0), N Callan; C McConnell (0-6, 6fs), M Woods (0-2), H Kingham (0-1).

Subs used: S McConnell for Callan; A Keenan for Lafferty.

Carnacon

M Higgins; N Hurst, N Tierney, S McGing; M Corbett, C McGing, A Loftus; C Egan, M Carter (0-1); M McGing, C Staunton (0-3, 2fs), D Hughes; N Beegan (1-0), F McHale (0-1), A Brennan.

Referee: J Niland (Sligo)