Holly hearts broken by late Carnacon winner
Fiona McHale fires the ball past Hollymount goalkeeper Ciara Brennan to secure Carnacon victory. Picture: Tom Quinn
A brave Hollymount suffered their second heartbreaking championship loss in the space of a week, this time being pipped at the post by an experienced Carnacon outfit in Clogher.
Staunton slotted over an early free before Amy Dowling saw a decent goal chance expertly saved by Ciara Brennan in the Hollymount goal.
Hollymount’s Lily Hession produced an energetic display at wing-forward and managed to restore parity, but Carnacon were eager to gain a foothold on proceedings and quell their opponent’s enthusiasm, and a free from Staunton on four minutes, was significantly beefed up with the arrival of a fortuitous goal. Amy Dowling’s aerial delivery was only parried by the under-pressure Ciara Brennan, with the breaking ball eventually falling to the poaching Karen Cosgrave and the latter rustled the back of the net from close-range.
Carnacon were motoring along nicely and Danny O’Toole’s outfit very nearly fashioned a second goal on 19 minutes, but Louise Dowling’s strike was thwarted by Ciara Brennan.
The home side stretched their lead to five points on 21 minutes when Doireann Hughes bisected the posts. However, a doughty Hollymount made some tigerish blocks and interceptions during the final moments of the opening half, which resulted in Ava Keane guiding over two frees to reduce the hosts lead at the interval to just three points, 1-3 to 0-3.
Staunton added another free just two minutes into the new half before Hollymount then saw their game plan suffer a big set-back on 33 minutes, when Ava Keane picked up a yellow card and was sin-binned.
In Keane’s absence, Hollymount’s free-taking duties fell to Lily Hession and she didn’t disappoint on 37 minutes when striking over a fine dead-ball effort and the pendulum continued to swing in the visitors favour. A free from the returning Keane on 46 minutes, was bolstered by another magnificent effort from play by Lily Hession on 50 minutes, and suddenly there was just one point separating the sides.
Despite Hollymount being reduced to 14 players once again after their full-forward Laura Brennan received a yellow, the chasers refused to yield and a pointed free from Lily Hession on 53 minutes deservedly restored parity, 1-4 to 0-7.
Hollymount may have felt that a famous victory was on the cards, but those ambitions were dealt a blow on 55 minutes, when the deadly Staunton guided over a vital free to nudge her under-siege team-mates in front.
Hollymount very nearly conceded a second goal on 57 minutes when Staunton teed-up Emma Cosgrave, but the latter missed out. A gallant Hollymount tried their level best to restore parity and they battled gamely for every inch of possession, however, a deadly counter attacking move by Carnacon on 58 minutes saw Staunton arrow a perfect pass into the path of Fiona McHale and the latter darted towards goal and duly rustled the back of the net.
The visitors huffed and puffed as the game entered injury-time, but the best they could muster was a point from Sarah Tierney, with Carnacon holding for victory.
