Down Ladies well beaten by powerful Cavan in the Ulster Intermediate Final

Down Ladies were second best this afternoon in the TG4 Ulster Intermediate Football Final, as they lost out against Cavan by 17 points.

Cavan went ahead early in the game and never looked back, whilst goals were the story of the day, with the Breffni ladies rattling the back of Down’s net on six occasions.

Catherine Dolan was the star of the show in the first half, and she made her mark immediately by scoring the first point of the game.

Dolan then assisted Cavan’s first goal of the game, putting Niamh Keenaghan in on goal, and she kept her effort low and hard, finishing past Catherine Byrne and into the net.

Cavan’s number 12 Dolan continued to be heavily involved, and she raised a green flag herself on six minutes, finishing off a move which involved Lauren McVeety and Sinead Greene. The move began with a turnover from corner back Lucy Crowe, and Down would be plagued with turnovers throughout the first half.

The Breffni girls increased their lead moments later through a McVeety free, before Down got a badly needed point from Niamh Rice.

Dolan added to her tally with a fisted point and another McVeety free had Cavan nine points to the good with 15 minutes on the clock, but the Mourne ladies showed signs of life with Eimear Fitzpatrick converting two frees in the space of as many minutes.

The Burren forward then had a goal chance when Aoife Laverty’s long ball found Eva Hicks, and she laid the ball off for Fitzpatrick, but her shot was kept out of the net by Cavan ‘keeper Evelyn Baugh.

Instead of a Down goal, it was a six-point swing in Cavan’s favour, as they went right down the other end 30 seconds later and Dolan made no mistake in front of goal. She received a searching pass from Greene and once again drilled a rocket of a shot up and into the roof of the Down net.

Cavan took a 10-point lead into the changing rooms for half-time (3-5 to 0-4) after a McVeety score was cancelled out by a superb Hicks point for Down, as she swung over with her back to goal.

Cavan had two chances in the opening stages of the second half to hit a fourth goal and put the game beyond doubt, but Ellie Brady had an effort saved by Byrne, before McVeety played Aisling Gilsenan in on goal, but her powerful shot was blazed wide.

Down were the team who badly needed a goal, but they too couldn’t take their chance, as Fitzpatrick fired wide under pressure from Sinead Kelly. There was some consolation for Fitzpatrick moments later however, as she curled over a point from a free.

On 40 minutes any hopes Down had of a comeback were dashed, as Can rattled in their fourth and fifth goals of the day just seconds apart.

Kelly went on a solo run, covering some 70 metres of ground and laid the ball off to Dolan, who set up Aishling Sheridan to drill into the net from close range. Cavan then overturned Down as they were bringing the ball out of their defence, and they ponced quickly with Sheridan turning provider for Gilsenan to raise yet another green flag.

On a disappointing afternoon for Down, Fitzpatrick was their top performer, and she got a deserved goal moments later, before converting from a free to take her personal tally to 1-4. The game petered out in the final quarter, with Rice and Ciara McCreanor closing out the scoring for Down, whilst points from Sheridan (two), Kerri McCormack, Dolan ad McVeety and a Niamh McCorry goal concluded Cavan’s tally. MATCH STATS

Down: Catherine Byrne; Aimee Greene, Ciara McCreanor (0-1), Niamh McClory; Clara Mulvenna, Aoife Brogan, Erin Sands; Meghan Doherty, Aoife Laverty; Eimear Fitzpatrick (1-4, 4f), Loaise Duffy, Claire Milburn; Niamh King, Niamh Rice (0-2), Eva Hicks (0-1).

Subs: Niamh McGrath for Sands (26), Vivienne McCormack for King (36), Shauna Fettes for McClory (44), Aine Smyth for Hicks (50), Meabh Kelly for Duffy (51).

Cavan: Evelyn Baugh; Lucy Crowe, Sinead Kelly, Eimear Corcoran; Mona Sheridan, Shauna Lynch, Sinead Greene; Michaela Fitzpatrick, Christina Charters; Ellie Brady, Lauren McVeety (0-4, 2f), Catherine Dolan (2-3); Niamh Keenaghan (1-0), Aishling Sheridan (1-2), Aisling Gilsenan (1-0).

Subs: Kerri McCormack (0-1) for Keenghan (37), Niamh McCorry (1-0) for Brady (42), Rebcca McLoughlin for Gilsenan (50), Deirbhile Lynch for Fitzpatrick (52).

Referee: Jude Dixon (Derry).