Down camogs book their place in the semis

Down camogs impressed in Clonduff on Saturday booking their place in the Intermediate Championship semi-final with a well-deserved nine-point victory over Meath.

The Mourne ladies had earned home advantage with wins against Carlow and Kildare and a defeat to Kerry to finish second in their group, while the Meath camogs finished third in theirs.

And it was a confident Down side that took to the field with momentum behind the county on the back of victory in the U23 Championship final the previous week, with a 2-14 to 1-9 result also against the Royal County.

Some of those Down players were back on Saturday for the senior team including U23 joint captain Clonduff's Orlaith McCusker and Mayobridge star Grace Cunningham who was player of the match the previous week and was superb off the bench in Hilltown scoring a '65 and almost nabbing a goal.

But it was veteran Clonduff player Sarah-Louise Gaffin who stole the show, scoring 1-8 of Down's 2-13 tally, with Saoirse Sands getting the other goal and a point and Dearbhla Magee scoring the other three points.

Meath did threaten to get a few goals of their own but the Down defence was also immense, not least goalkeeper Cassidy Fitzpatrick who kept the sliothar out of her net a number of times.

Meath were held to a single score for much of the first half with a dominant display from the home side, but they converted a couple of points late on to make it 0-8 to 0-3 at the break.

Meath fared better in the second half, managing to get the scoreboard ticking over a bit more with seven more points getting them into double digits, but the two goals made sure there would be no comeback as the Mourne side cruised to a 2-13 to 0-10 victory.

MATCH STATS

Down: Cassidy Fitzpatrick; Aoife McDowell, Dearbhla Coleman, Emily Fitzpatrick; Ciara McGilligan, Beth Fitzpatrick, Blannaid Savage; Dearbhla Savage, Orlaith McCusker; Saoirse Sands (1-1), Sarah Louise Gaffin (1-8, 3f), Dearbhla Magee (0-3); Sophie McGrath, Niamh McGrath, Erin Elliot

Subs: Grace Cunningham (0-1,1'65), Gerra McGrattan, Aoife Murphy, Katie McGilligan

Meath: Tara Murphy; Laura O'Neill, Claire Coffee, Sophie Payne; Erin Leddy, Rachel O'Neill, Leah Devone; Emma Regan, Aoife Carey (0-3, 1'65); Isabel O'Connor (0-3), Ciara Foley (0-2,2f). Grace Connolly (0-1); Maeve Clince (0-1), Ellen Burke, Grace Coleman

Subs: Ella O'Brien, Brody Kelly