Glee in Glen’ as O'Hora's crew reach last eight
Supporters look on during Saturday's All-Ireland Ladies SFC round 3 match between Donegal and Mayo at Glenfin GAA Club. Pictures: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Mayo booked their place in the TG4 All-Ireland quarter-finals following an impressive win over Donegal in Glenfin last Saturday afternoon. In what was a winner-goes-through clash between the Atlantic coast rivals, the result later saw Mayo drawn away to their fiercest and oldest rivals Galway in the last eight, in what will be a quick repeat of this season’s Connacht final that saw the Tribeswomen have to withstand a determined second-half rally by the Green and Red.
That match will be played on the weekend of July 4-5.
It’s also pre-determined who the winners of that quarter-final will face in the All-Ireland semi-final, with the winners of the Armagh v Kildare (Mayo manager Diane O’Hora’s previous team in charge of) awaiting on Saturday, July 18.
Saturday’s victory was not only one of Mayo’s best this season in their first year under Diane O’Hora, but the performance will give much optimism due to the injury problems that have plagued the squad this year.
Ella Brennan has become the latest long-term absentee after suffering an ACL injury against Dublin a fortnight ago while Fiona McHale also picked up a calf injury in that game. However, Mayo’s panel strength came to the fore as Finola Collins and Meabh Delaney gave assured performances at the back along with Sherin El Massry and Lynda Hanley.
The duo of Aoife Geraghty and Tara Needham dominated the midfield battle while Maria Reilly, Aoife Staunton and the Cafferky sisters, Sinead and Lisa, all found their range in front of the posts.
While Mayo will feel they could have seen the game out more comfortably, this was an excellent display and one that bodes well ahead of the All-Ireland quarter-finals in two weeks’ time.
Diane O’Hora said they knew it would be a tough outing against a Donegal side who had turned them over in the league.
“I’m delighted for the group. They deserved this after the work that has gone in,” she said afterwards. “We were coming up to the lion’s den and we’re just relieved, delighted with the result. I think we made some of the wrongs right from the league game in Swinford. That loss cost us promotion to Division 1.”
Revenge, then, was sweet.
Starting with the aid of the breeze, Mayo dominated possession and pinned Donegal inside their own half. Maria Reilly opened the scoring on two minutes following a turnover, and more loose possession was punished two minutes later as Aoife Staunton opened her account.
Featuring at centre-back for Donegal was former Mayo and Burrishoole player Feena McManamon who is now a garda based in Letterkenny. Her side got off the mark on six minutes through a point by Susanne White, but Donegal would not register another attempt for the next 15 as Mayo continued to exercise their control. However, they would only score three points in this period through Staunton and Sinead Cafferky – her second a fabulous strike off the outside of her right boot – as the wide count began to steadily rise with the tricky wind.
Against the run of the play, Donegal netted on 24 minutes following a swift counterattack involving Bláthnáid McLaughlin and Niamh Boyle, with McLaughlin palming the ball to the net.
Mayo’s response was swift as Maria Reilly’s second point, followed by frees from Lisa Cafferky and Aoife Staunton, made it 0-8 to 1-1 in favour of the Green and Red at the interval.
Despite now playing against the wind, Mayo frustrated in Donegal in the third quarter as they patiently held onto the ball to work opportunities to score. Further frees from Staunton and Lisa Caferky, the latter seeing the ball brought forward 50 metres for an infringement, extended their lead further while Donegal’s only score in this period was from Eva Gallagher.
Stunners from Tara Needham and Sinead Cafferky brought the gap out to seven but Donegal would get their act together for the next ten minutes, outscoring Mayo 1-4 to 0-1.
Ulitah Boyle, two from Susanne White (one coming from a contentious breach call) and a single from Mia Bennett brought the gap to three. Donegal dissent by Roisin Rodgers gave Lisa Cafferky a simple tap over free but Mayo goalkeeper Laura Brennan was soon caught in possession away from her goal. The Hollymount shotstopper was dispossessed and White thundered home to make it a one-point game with five minutes remaining.
However, Mayo would put matters to bed soon after. The Cafferky sisters combined for Lisa to point from close range before the restart by Clare Friel was intercepted by Kayla Doherty. The MacHale Rovers attacker picked out Lisa Cafferky and she lobbed Friel to seal Mayo’s place in the last eight, with Lynda Hanley rounding off a great afternoon for Mayo with a late single.
Scorers – Mayo: Lisa Cafferky 1-0-4 (0-3f), Aoife Staunton 0-0-4 (2f), Sinead Cafferky 0-0-3, Maria Reilly and Tara Meedham 0-0-2 each.
Donegal: Susanne White 1-0-3 (0-1f), Abbie McGranaghan 1-0-0, Eva Gallagher, Ultiah Boyle and Mia Bennett 0-0-1 each.
Mayo: Laura Brennan; Lucy Wallace, Sherin El Massry, Meabh Delaney; Finola Collins, Lynda Hanley, Hannah Reape; Aoife Geraghty, Tara Needham; Maria Reilly, Sinead Walsh, Aoife Staunton; Lisa Cafferky, Clodagh Keane, Sinead Cafferky. Subs: Aoife Kennedy (for Collins 450, Kayla Doherty (for Keane 52).
Donegal: Clare Friel; Niamh Carr, Niamh Boyle, Sophie McFeely; Tara Hegarty, Feena McManamon, Shauna McFadden; Rhiana McColgan, Evelyn McGinley; Bláthnáid McLaughlin, Katie Dowds, Aoife McDermott; Eva Gallagher, Susanne White, Abbie McGranaghan. Subs: Ulitah Boyle (for McFadden ht), Roisin Rodgers (for McFeely 39), Mia Bennett and Cait Gillespie (for McDermott and Gallagher 45), Ava Walsh (for McLaughlin 52).
REF: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan)
