Thomas and Brady hit the goals as Donegal win Ulster U20 ladies championship
Donegal 5-10Tyrone 1-14
Sara Thomas and Maeve Brady hit the goals as Donegal won the inaugural Ulster Under-20 ladies' championship with an eight-point win over Tyrone at St Patrick’s Park in Donagh.
Leading 4-6 to 0-6 at the break, Thomas and Brady hit two goals each in a dominant first half, powered by a great midfield duo of Lucy Ward and Kate McMullin, while Maria Diver, Aisling O’Neill and Tara Rose Mahon won a lot of ball to get their forwards the goals.
But Tyrone did hit back in the second half, with free-taking from Ella McCaffrey and Catherine Moohan, along with a Laura Duff goal, leaving five in it.
And Donegal were down to 14 when Maria Diver was sin-binned for the last ten minutes, but a final goal from Thomas sealed the win as Donegal took the title and will contest an All-Ireland final.
Donegal started on the front foot as Kate McMullin won the ball from the start, with Maria Diver kicking long to Brady, who pointed on 20 seconds.
Lucy Ward kicked a great score from distance a minute later, and they then hit the net as Aisling O’Neill won the ball and started a quick counter, with Thomas playing in Caitlin Fletcher, whose shot was dragging wide, but Brady was in the perfect position to throw a leg at it and hit the net.
Tyrone responded well as Ella McCaffrey kicked two frees, and Hannah Cavlan pointed from play after recovering a wayward shot.
Donegal continued threatening for goals, with Maria Ní Ghallchóir and Fletcher both going close, but as Diver won the ball high up, Brady played in Thomas who kicked in from close range.
Tia McCormack pointed at the other end, but Paul Gillespie and Dessie McNamara’s side got a third goal when Aisling O’Neill played a brilliant ball in behind the Tyrone defence and the pacey Thomas picked up the ball, rounding the goalkeeper Rubi McGarvey for her second goal.
Brady got her second point on the 20 minute mark, while McCaffrey and Ward traded frees.
Fletcher had another chance for a goal, but McGarvey saved, while O’Neill kicked a great score before Ní Ghallchóir also pointed.
And Donegal got a fourth goal on 30 minutes as O’Neill had a shot saved, but as Tyrone tried to clear, Brady intercepted a pass from close range as the Termon woman got her second goal of the game.
McCaffrey kicked her fourth free in added time, leaving the four goals in it at the break at 4-6 to 0-6.
And while Alannah Boyle knocked over the first score after the restart, the lead soon came down to six by the tenth minute of the second half, two points from McCaffrey, the second a free, got Tyrone going with a bit of a breeze in their favour.
Fletcher had another goal chance saved, but the ball was in the net at the other end soon after courtesy of Laura Duff, getting a bit of space and finding the bottom right corner.
Catherine Moohan kicked three frees in a row after this, while Brady got a well-needed score at the other end after Tyrone had hit 1-5 on the trot.
Substitute Chloe Costello pointed for Donegal, while McCaffrey kicked her seventh score of the game from a free.
That left six in it, and it could have been worrying for Donegal when Diver was sin-binned on 52 minutes, with Moohan converting the free.
But Thomas completed the goalscoring as Costello’s shot was saved by McGarvey, and the Four Masters woman was in the right place to fire into the bottom left corner for a deserved goal.
Costello added another point, while Ellie McGarvey made a great save to deny McCaffrey a goal.
And Moohan added a final point from a free late on, but it was Donegal’s evening as they won well to take the Karen Jackson Cup.
Donegal scorers: Maeve Brady 2-3; Sara Thomas 3-0; Lucy Ward 0-2,1f; Chloe Costello 0-2; Aisling O’Neill, Maria Ní Ghallchóir and Alannah Boyle 0-1 each.
Tyrone scorers: Ella McCaffrey 0-7,6f; Catherine Moohan 0-5f; Laura Duff 1-0; Hannah Callan and Tia McCormack 0-1 each.
Donegal: Ellie McGarvey; Nicole Devlin, Ríonach Doherty, Síne Ryan; Maria Diver, Tara Rose Mahon, Rebecca McLaughlin; Lucy Ward, Kate McMullin; Maria Ní Ghallchóir, Maeve Brady, Alannah Boyle; Caitlin Fletcher, Aisling O’Neill, Sara Thomas.
Subs: Chloe Costello for Ní Gallchóir (ht), Bronagh Butler for Ryan (60)
Tyrone: Rubi McGarvey; Aoife Marlow, Cora Quinn, Cara Collins; Meabh Campbell, Bree McBride, Tori McMullin; Caislin Tracey, Laura Duff; Rebecca Rafferty, Ella McCaffrey, Hannah Cavlan; Tia McCormack, Catherine Moohan, Tess McDonnell.
Subs: Ciara McAleer for Rafferty (39), Ciara Hughes for McCormack (48), Cora McElduff for McDonnell (50)
Referee: Anthony Campbell (Derry).