Trilllick Ladies swoop for four goals against Carmen

LADIES DIV ONE CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL

Trillick 4-5  An Charraig Mhor 1-10

By Damien Donnelly

TRILLICK Ladies netted four times on home soil as they denied An Charraig Mhor to reach the last four of the Division One Championship following Saturday evening’s encounter.

The prevalence of a strong breeze made playing conditions challenging, the wind changing direction at times but Trillick tried to make the best of whatever advantage that gave them in the first 30 minutes.

A first minute goal boosted the St Macartan’s and helped to settle them into the game right away. A flowing and quick-paced move led to Dearbhaile Gallagher earning a penalty that Cathleen Kelly drove home decisively.

Emma McCarron tagged on a point as Trillick continued with an early press for scores and McCarron supplied a follow-up finish to leave it 1-2 to 0-0 before the St Colmcille girls got going through a Niamh McElduff effort.

Sorcha Gormley converted a free for An Charraig Mhor’s second score and Gormley soon had her team within three points with a fine effort at the middle mark of the half. The full-forward added another point from play as the St Colmcille’s cut the St Macartan’s lead to just one.

Trillick responded to this by bagging their second goal of the game on 22 minutes, Shauna McGurren providing the delivery and Amy McGinn supplying the finish to re-establish a home foothold on the contest.

An Charraig Mhor counter-attacked and Sorcha Gormley maintained her strike rate on the points front by landing one in open play and another from a free. Lauren McMahon had a high effort that yielded a point plus a Gormley free tied the interval scores at 2-2 to 0-8.

The St Macartan girls began the second half as they had the first, by finding the net. Cathleen Kelly rattled in the score inside two minutes of the resumption and there was some daylight again on the home side of the scoreboard.

Sorcha Gormley pointed a free to launch her team’s second half account but Trillick moved forward with purpose and found goal number four in the process as Shauna McCarren completed the task carved out by some tidy build-up play.

Both defences did well to avert goal openings and Trillick were denied a fifth goal on a square ball ruling towards the finish. Each team had a player side-lined on ten minute yellow cards in the closing stages as well.

Gemma Begley was introduced as An Charraig Mhor battled hard to get on terms. A Gormley free arrived either side of Mya Williamson and Amy McGinn efforts. Sorcha Gormley then went on a surging solo run and Gormley sent a low shot to the net on 57 minutes.

Cathleen Kelly pointed as normal time closed and there were no subsequent scores following an extended injury time spell as the St Macartan’s of Trillick secured their semi-final ticket.

Teams & Scorers

Trillick: Fiona Owens, Siofra Gallagher, Nuala Kelly, Orla McSorley, Katie Murphy, Megan Donnelly, Ashling Goodwin, Sarah Donnelly, Ciara Brogan, Mya Williamson (0-1), Dearbhaille Gallagher, Emma McCarron (1-2), Cathleen Kelly (1-1), Amy McGinn (1-1), Shauna McGurren (1-0). Sub: Aine Brennan for S Gallagher.

An Charraig Mhor: Shannon McCallan, Caoimhe Coyle, Aoibhinn Daly, Maire Slane, Roise McCallan, Ciara Rose Marley, Saoria Loughran, Annie Loughran, Aine Grimes, Niamh McElduff (0-1), Caitllin Gormley, Alanagh McCallan, Lauren McMahon (0-1), Sorcha Gormley (1-8), Katie Marley. Subs: Gemma Begley for S Loughran, Siofra Loughran for A Grimes.