Dowlings' double helps Carnacon get back on track

Mayo LGFA Senior Championship Group A – Round 2 

Carnacon 2-9 

Hollymount 2-6 

Patrick Hennelly at St Coman’s Park, Hollymount 

Gutsy Carnacon managed a hard-fought victory over hosts Hollymount on Sunday morning with goals by the Dowling sisters, Amy and Louise, helping maintain the Green and Red’s county title ambitions.

Hollymount haven’t beaten Carnacon in championship football for a very long time, but came mightily close to registering a famous win at the ‘Saucer’, with Carnacon – having already lost to Knockmore – very relieved to leave the famous venue with the spoils.

The early exchanges were anything but mundane, with a goal apiece during a frantic opening three minutes.

Carnacon got proceedings underway when they netted a major inside the first minute. A long-range free from Cora Staunton fell kindly to Amy Dowling whose smashing finish had too much purchase for the diving Laura Brennan. Indeed, the aforementioned Dowling would go on to have a fine game and played a central role in her team’s creative endeavours.

The Carnacon faithful barely had time to rejoice at their side’s wonderful start when down at the other end the locals levelled proceedings courtesy of Anita Murphy, whose sublime finish rounded off a spellbinding counter-attacking foray.

Staunton, a free, and Hollymount’s Grace Campbell then swapped singles on five and seven minutes respectively, with both sides also having to battle the atrocious weather conditions as heavy downpours hampered free-flowing football.

The Blue and White enjoyed a mini purple patch during which they outscored the guests 0-2 to 0-1, with a brace of frees from Ava Keane greater than Staunton’s effort, which also came from the dead-ball.

Leading by the bare minimum, 1-3 to 1-2, everything seemed to be going to plan for Hollymount but in the blink of an eye the game was turned on its head on the 14-minute mark. Again, Staunton was credited with the assist, as another long-range free dropped short and into the grateful arms of her team-mate Louise Dowling, who turned and fired past Brennan.

Carnacon’s Amy Dowling and her opposite number Ava Keane swapped frees before Staunton, the former AFL and Mayo ace, popped over a fine individual score on 20 minutes, finding that vital pocket of space.

However, Hollymount ended the half in a sprightly fashion and a brace of splendid white-flagged efforts from the energetic Keane, including a free, during the final six minutes of the half, reduced the deficit to the bare minimum, 2-4 to 1-6.

Carnacon dominated the opening five minutes of the new half, with a free from Staunton quickly followed up with a brilliant solo effort by the same player, who in doing so managed to evade the attentions of the retreating Hollymount defence.

But a doughty Hollymount refused to crumble and a mesmerising attacking foray from the hosts on 37 minutes, which involved Keane and Finlay, culminated in the dynamic Anita Murphy palming the ball to the back of the net to level matters at 2-6 apiece, much to the delight of the home faithful.

Crucially, Hollymount were unable to build, whereas an experienced Carnacon managed to nudge in front again on 43 minutes, as the rampaging Fiona McHale bisected the posts following brilliant approach play from Louise Dowling.

Indeed, McHale was central to a lot of Carnacon’s build-up play, and when her team-mate Staunton struck over another peach of a point, one sensed that the game was beginning to slip away from Hollymount.

As time ticked by, the atrocious weather conditions almost resulted in a fortuitous major for the chasers as Nicola Hession’s attempt nearly scrambled past the slipping Lisa Nally, but the custodian just about managed to get a hand to the leather and the danger was averted.

The Green and Red were eager to put the game to bed and a free from an acute angle by Staunton on 60 minutes appeared to be the insurance score.

Hollymount made a tactical reshuffle four minutes into stoppage time as substitute Ciara Brennan deputised between the sticks whilst Laura Brennan was moved outfield.

The late drama continued, with the Blue and White nearly salvaging a dramatic share of the spoils eight minutes into added time, however, Sarah Tierney’s audacious long-range effort flashed inches wide, much to the relief of Nally and her Carnacon teammates.

Scorers – Carnacon: Cora Staunton 0-7 (4f), Amy Dowling 1-1, Louise Dowling 1-0, Fiona McHale 0-1.

Hollymount: Anita Murphy 2-0, Ava Keane 0-5 (4f), Grace Campbell 0-1.

Hollymount: Laura Brennan; Megan Commins, Sarah Tierney, Louise Slattery; Jessica Commins, Grace Campbell, Gemma Murphy; Aine Fahey, Jenna Mortimer; Emer Finlay, Nicola Hession, Natasha Merry; Anita Murphy, Ava Keane, Lily Hession. Subs: Caoilinn Walsh (for A Murphy 53), Ciara Brennan (for Finlay 60+4).

Carnacon: Lisa Nally; Melissa McGing, Beth Hoban, Sadhbh Larkin; Shauna Heneghan, Michelle McGing, Anna Heaney; Fiona McHale, Louise Dowling; Sinead Hanley, Amy Dowling, Hannah Prendergast; Jemma Dolan, Cora Staunton, Rachel Twohig. Sub: Ellen Burke (for Dolan 43).

REF: Ger Canny