Donegal Ladies hold on against Tipperary to book place in last four of Division One

Donegal Ladies made it four wins from four games with a hard fought two point win over Tipperary in St Mary’s Park, Convoy, this afternoon.

Donegal …….. 3-11

Tipperary ……. 3-9

The win guarantees Donegal a place in the knockout stages of the competition with three games still to play (away to Cork and Galway and home to Westmeath).

Karen Guthrie, Roisin Friel and Geraldine McLaughlin scored the goals as Donegal retained their place at the top of the Lidl Ladies Division One League table.

Guthrie opened the scoring with a fourth minute goal when she finished in style to the net from just inside the large rectangle.

But the Tipperary response was instant when Roisin Howard’s attempt at a point dipped into the right corner of Aisling Nee’s net.

And buoyed up by their good fortune Tipperary added on three quick points as Niamh Lonergan, Roisin Daly and Aisling Maloney all split the posts for a 1-3 to 1-0 Tipperary lead.

Donegal, though not firing on all cylinders, clawed their way back into the tie with strikes from old reliables Karen Guthrie, Geraldine McLaughlin and Megan Ryan to tie up the contest at 1-3 on the quarter-hour mark.

Maloney temporarily restored Tipperary’s lead with a fine point under pressure from Katy Herron. But with Donegal responding to the challenge and despite losing Katy Herron to the sin bin for ten minutes, they had the better of the second quarter.

And courtesy of points from Niamh Hegarty, Geraldine McLaughlin, two frees and a pointed free from captain Guthrie they led by two, 1-7 to 1-5 at half-time.

Tipperary’s cause was not helped by the loss of Maloney for the closing minutes of the half after picking up a yellow card and ten minutes in the sin bin.

Maloney and Lonergan kicked the visitors only points of the second quarter.

Geraldine McLaughlin missed a glorious chance for a second Donegal goal on the resumption after being sent through by Roisin Friel.

But the usually reliable McLaughlin blasted wide though she did make up shortly after when she split the posts for a fine pont.

Captain Guthrie made it a four point game before Donegal struck for home with two goals in the space of three minutes to open up a ten point lead 3-9 to 1-5.

Roisin Friel polished off a sweeping with Geraldine McLaughlin and Karen Guthrie combined to set up Friel for a 2-9 to 1-5 lead.

And Friel turned provider to send her club colleague McLaughlin clear for another well worked goal.

With the Spring sunshine making way to wintry showers Roisin Howard and Maloney pointed for Tipperary to reduce the Donegal lead to eight.

But with McLaughlin and Guthrie carving the openings the twin strike force struck to restore Donegal’s ten point advantage.

However, they did let that lead slip as Tipperary mounted a late revival with goals from Anna Kennedy and Rosin Howard and points from Anna Carey and Maloney.

And while Donegal were clinging on at the finish they were the better side and may have been guilty of taking the foot off the pedal in the closing minutes.

DONEGAL Aisling Nee; Tara Hegarty, Emer Gallagher, Niamh Carr; Treasa Doherty, Nicole McLaughlin, Niamh Boyle; Katy Herron, Megan Ryan (0-1); Róisín Friel (1-0), Niamh Hegarty (0-1), Amy Boyle Carr; Geraldine McLaughlin (1-5, 2f), Karen Guthrie (1-4, 3f), Shannon McGroddy.

SUBS: Ciara Grant forS McGroddy 44, Shannon McLaughlin for T Hegarty 52.

TIPPERARY: Lauren Fitzpatrick; Emma Buckley, Laura Dillon, Emma Cronin; Brid Condon, Samantha Lambert, Cora Maher; Anna Rose Kennedy (1-0), Roisin McGrath; Niamh Lonergan (0-2), Aisling Moloney (0-4, 3f), Roisin Daly (0-1); Roisin Howard (2-1), Caoimhe Condon, Sarah Everard.

SUBS: Rachael O’Donnell for L Dillon 33, Anna Carey (0-1) for B Condon 39, Caitlin Kennedy for N Lonergan 43, Courtney Lonergan for S Everard 43.

REFEREE: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo).