Dungloe minor ladies determined to make their mark in Ulster - Tony Boyle

It was a case of first hurdle overcome for Dungloe manager Tony Boyle following Sunday's 2-12 to 1-4 LGFA Ulster MFC quarter-final win over Monaghan champions Magheracloone.

In their third season in Ulster and after losing to St Enda’s Omagh last season and Carrickmore, the year before it was understandable the 1992 All-Ireland winner was a happy man at the final whistle.    

“Obviously we are delighted to win,” Boyle said. “You never know what to expect especially in the minor championship because you don’t know what the standard is like in the other counties.

“We played our best football in the first 30 minutes. I did tell the girls we needed to set out our stall because we were home and to be 1-10 to 0-1 up at half-time was brilliant. Really we could not ask for more.”

The former All-Star forward agreed the game was as good as over at the break and as a consequence the second period was a low-scoring affair. 

“They packed the defence in the second half and went for damage limitations. And we were happy enough with that.

 “We told the girls at half-time we were under no pressure to attack and if we retained possession they were not going to do any damage.

“Ellie McGarvey killed the game as a contest with the last goal and we are just delighted to be through to an Ulster semi-final.”

This is Dungloe's third season in Ulster and Boyle feels this is the best equipped of the three to give the provincial championship a rattle.

Up to eight of the team were on the Dungloe senior team that won the club’s first Intermediate championship and ran a highly fancied Mullahoran from Cavan close in the first round of the Ulster Intermediate championship.  

“We have a strong team. This is our third year and it is this year we feel the profile is right.  

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“Seven or eight of them are 18 years of age, there are a few 17-year-olds and we have a number of girls from a really talented U-16 team.

“It is a brilliant combination and I make no bones about it, I wanted to win the minor in Donegal this year to give Ulster a crack and see where we are at and this was a good start.” 

Dungloe will now play O’Donovan Rossa, Magherafelt, in the Ulster semi-final in two weeks' time away in Magherafelt.