Tyrone 2-11
Down 1-11
Report by Alan Gunn
Tyrone held out to overcome their Ulster rivals Down in a rip-roaring clash in Clones on Sunday afternoon to book their place in in the 2024 TG4 All-Ireland intermediate final.
The 2018 champions led at the break by four points, 1-6 to 0-5, but were pushed all the way in the second half in what was a very entertaining encounter, with Down once again showing they can mix it with the best in the competition after coming back up from junior level last year.
The sides were level after a cautious opening quarter with two points apiece: Chloe McCaffrey with a brace for Tyrone including one from a free and Natasha Ferris (free) and Niamh McClory levelling for Down before Tyrone struck for the game’s opening goal on 16 minutes.
It came from Aoife Horisk after as she gathered a superb pass from Maria Canavan. McCaffrey, who hit four first half points to stretch the lead, but Down hung in there with Ferris (free) and a fine Niamh King point.
However, Tyrone went in at the break 1-6 to 0-4 ahead with three unanswered points before the interval, McCaffrey, Aine Grimes and Canavan (free) all raising white flags.
With the opening three of points half coming from the Ulster champions, the deficit was cut to the minimum by the 43rd minute, thanks to McClory and a King brace.
Tyrone introduced Sorcha Gormley, who earlier in the week helped Tyrone minors defeat Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final, and the Carrickmore girl added life to their attack.
Canavan landed a free and then the Errigal Ciaran girl was on hand to take the lay off from Gormley to fire an unstoppable shot to the net on 49 minutes.
Down struck back with a goal from substitute Eimear Fitzpatrick with her first touch of the game. The sides traded a further six points, with Fitzpatrick really impressive for the Mourne girls.
Tyrone held out despite a few nervy moments in the closing minutes, with a Fitzpatrick free going the wrong side of the butt of the post, to advance to a clash with Leitrim in the decider.
Scorers - Tyrone: M Canavan 1-4 (0-2f), C McCaffrey 0-5 (2f), A Horisk 1-1, A Grimes 0-1.
Down: E Fitzpatrick 1-2 (0-1f), N King 0-3 (1f), N Ferris 0-2 (f), N McClory 0-2, L Duffy 0-1, A Smyth 0-1
TYRONE: A Coyle; J Lyons, J Barrett, E Quinn; C Campbell, M Corrigan, C Daly; Á Grimes, A McHugh (c.); E.J. Gervin, A Horisk, E McNamee; M Canavan, E Conroy, C McCaffrey. Subs: C Gormley for E Conroy (35), M Mallon for E McNamee (38), E Mulgrew for C Daly (41), K R Muldoon for J Lyons (59), S Byrne for A Horisk (59).
DOWN: A McGivern; A Greene, C Byrne, E Sands; C Mulvenna, N McKibbin, O Duffy; M Doherty (c.), A Laverty; A McAlea, N McClory, L Duffy; S Dougherty, N Ferris, N King. Subs: Vivienne McCormack for S Dougherty (40), E Fitzpatrick for N Ferris (49), P Smyth for C Mulvenna (49), A Smyth for N King (55).
Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo).
Leitrim 3-8
Wexford 2-10
Report by Daire Walsh
Leitrim survived a late onslaught from Wexford at Parnell Park to book their place in this year’s TG4 All-Ireland intermediate championship final.
Seven points behind — 3-8 to 1-7 — with a little over three minutes of normal time left to play, a determined Wexford outfit registered 1-3 without reply in a frantic finale to a pulsating last-four affair. The Slaneysiders even had a chance at the death to force the game into extra-time, but after an Aoife Cullen free floated wide of the target, Leitrim were guaranteed a spot in the competition’s August 4 decider at Croke Park alongside Tyrone.
In a lively opening to the contest, Leitrim’s Laura O’Dowd (whose sister Eilish won a TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title with Dublin in 2023) traded points with Wexford full-forward Kellie Kearney.
O’Dowd added her second of the game after the play was held up for a number of minutes to allow treatment for injured Model County corner-back Sarah Harding Kenny. While Wexford eventually equalised with an Aoife Cullen point, O’Dowd and Siomha Quinn later split the uprights to give Leitrim some breathing space.
Their Slaneyside counterparts kept in touch with a fine score by Tara Doyle, but right on the stroke of half-time, Muireann Devaney superbly shook the net from close-range to propel Leitrim into a 1-4 to 0-3 interval lead.
Wexford suffered a further set-back when Aisling Halligan was sin-binned two minutes into the second period, but Lizzy Kent’s side came roaring back into contention when Halligan’s half-back partner Ciara Banville fired a low shot past opposite netminder Michelle Monaghan moments later.
This ramped up the pressure on Leitrim, but after a pointed free from captain Michelle Guckian helped them to settle again, Jonny Garrity’s charges ruthlessly added goals through Ailbhe Clancy and Devaney in the 38th and 40th minutes respectively.
Although Wexford raised white flags via the boots of Clara Donnelly, Doyle, Cullen and Amanda Power either side of the final-quarter mark, similar efforts by Devaney, Clancy and substitute Leah Fox looked set to ease Leitrim into a first intermediate final since 2007.
Wexford subsequently offered themselves a lifeline when an Aoife Cullen goal was supplemented by points from Grace Donovan, Chloe Foxe and Maria Byrne, but Leitrim did just enough to hold out.
Scorers - Leitrim: M Devaney 2-1, A Clancy 1-1 (0-1f), L O’Dowd 0-3, M Guckian 0-1 (1f), S Quinn, L Foxe 0-1 each.
Wexford: A Cullen 1-2 (0-1f), C Banville 1-0, T Doyle 0-2, M Byrne, A Power, C Donnelly, C Foxe, K Kearney, G Donovan 0-1 each.
LEITRIM: M Monaghan; E Quigley, C Tyrell, C Owens; S Reynolds, K Bruen, E Bruen; N Tighe, M Guckian; O Flynn, L O’Dowd, M Devaney; A Clancy, S Quinn, A Redican. Subs: L Fox for Quinn (43), M Murphy for Quigley (53), L McKeon for Flynn (57), B O’Rourke for Clancy (58).
WEXFORD: S McCarthy; K English, M Byrne, S Harding Kenny; C Banville, A Halligan, A Power; R Murphy, B McDonald; C Donnelly, C Foxe, A Cullen, C Ní Nualláin, K Kearney, T Doyle. Subs: L Doyle for Harding Kenny (7), C Murray for Ní Nualláin (37), G Donovan for McDonald (46).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
