Gaeil Fhánada ladies lose out in Ulster IFC to Cavan champions Knockbride

Gaeil Fhanada lost out to Knockbride from Cavan in their Ulster LGFA IFC quarter final at a wet and windy Pairc Uí Shiail, in Portsalon. 

The Breffni County champions had seven points to spare at the finish against the locals to run out deservingly in windy conditions.

But despite the margin of the defeat, the locals, who started without injured full forward Hannah Shiels and Lauren Carr, who had emigrated to Australia, battled to the finish with captain Rachel Sweeney, Aoife Gibbons, Iseult Ní Mhathúna, Shauna Howe and Caoimhe McDevitt, who were the standout Gaeil Fhánada players on the day. 

The winners, who have the look of a polished well well-organised outfit, took the lead from the off and dominated the opening quarter, and they led by 1-3 to 0-0 after 15 minutes.

Corner forward Abby Reilly proved an early thorn for the Gaeil Fhánada rearguard and scored a goal and two points inside ten minutes. For the goal, the elusive number 13 lobbied Rosheen McGinley, between the Gaeil Fhanada posts.  

And when Abby Connor landed the Cavan champions' third point four minutes later, it was looking ominous for the locals, who were playing with whatever advantage there was from the crossfield wind. 

With a heavy shower in the middle of the opening half making playing conditions difficult, the game went without a score for the best of ten minutes.

Aoife Gibbons drove forward to land the locals' opening point on 22 minutes, and with Gibbons, Rachel McGinley, Iseult Ní Mhathúna, and Shauna Howe stepping up, Gaeil Fhánada scored two more points, courtesy of Caoimhe McDevitt's close-in frees, to go in just three points down at half-time at 1-3 to 0-3.

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The Cavan champions, who had lost full-forward Katie Rogers to injury four minutes into the game, then lost star attacker Abby Reilly to injury in the middle of the second period.

But despite that, they dominated after the half-time break and had stretched their lead out to 1-7 to 0-3 before Caoimhe McDevitt scored Gaeil Fhanda's only point of the second period ten minutes from the end.

Gaeil Fhanada lost fullback Michelle Doherty for ten minutes in the sinbin, while Knockbride finished the game with midfielder Tanya Rogers and captain Sarah McCabe in the sinbin.

Abby Connor, with the second last kick of the game, brought the curtain down on the scoring. 

Gaeil Fhanada scorers: Caoimhe McDevitt 0-3f; Aoife Gibbons 0-1.

Knockbride: Abby Reilly 1-2; Abby Connor 0-4,2f; Tara Rogers and Rebecca Davey 0-1 each.

Gaeil Fhánada: Rosheen McGinley; Victoria Gallagher, Michelle Doherty, Shauna Howe; Margaret Friel, Niamh McDevitt, Eimear Sweeney; Aoife Gibbons, Rachel Sweeney; Caoimhe Barrett, Eimear Gibbons, Iseult Ní Mhathúna; Caoimhe Walsh, 

Mairead Coll, Siobhan Sweeney.

Subs: Hannah Shiels for M Friel (45); Meabh McAteer for V Gallagher (48); Clare Friel for S Sweeney (53).

Knockbride: Katie Mulvey; Grainne Smith, Amie Lynch, Nicole Rogers; Eileen Lynch, Sinead O’Reilly, Niamh Smith; Tara Rogers, Katie Mai Reilly; Gia McCabe, Sarah McCabe, Aoife McNulty; Abby Reilly, Katie Rogers, Abby Connor.

Subs: Rebecca Davey for K Rogers (04,inj); Leanna Clarke for A Reilly (44).

Referee: Garry Gormley (Tyrone).