Northern girls Knock’ on final door again
Hannah Reape (8) and Lara Sweeney (14) were crucial players in Knockmore's semi-final victory over Kilmovee Shamrocks last Sunday morning.
A late surge from the home side on Sunday morning sent Knockmore into another county ladies senior football final, which is to take place against Burrishoole next month.
It was Hannah Reape who opened the scoring with a point, after both sides had squandered early chances on goal. The home side were finding it easier to get scores as Lara Sweeney opened her account before Amy O’Connor and Shauna Howley had the North Mayo girls four points up by the quarter hour mark.
The visitors managed to start battling back when Shauna Golden found her range from a dead ball. With eight minutes left on the clock before half-time, the tie was level as a Sinead Cafferky delivery was directed into the net by her sister Lisa.
Just as it looked like the sides would go in deadlocked at the break, up stepped Golden whose long range free made its way into the Knockmore net, leaving the Kilmovee crowd in raptors and the home side stunned. But not for too long.
A final white flag came from Hannah Reape who drove down the middle of the pitch to leave her side just two behind at the interval.
Once the game restarted – and the words of their manager ringing in their ears – Knockmore scored the first three points, all coming from their captain Lara Sweeney who led from the front, with one from play and two from dead balls.
This, however, was cancelled out down the far end by a Golden double and a fine strike from Sinead Cafferky.
With 13 minutes left on the clock it looked like the East Mayo side might pull away, but an inspired substitution from Knockmore changed everything, as Mia Traynor was unleashed from the bench.
It was Traynor’s pressure that paid off when O‘Connor narrowed the gap before Traynor herself got her hands on two kickouts, feeding Sweeney and Clodagh Keane to raise quickfire green flags.
With five minutes left, Hannah Reape was shown a yellow to see her side having to defend with 14 players. But this didn't stop them as three more scores, first from Traynor, followed by Sweeney and Sarah Mulvihill, had them well in control by the end of normal time.
Kilmovee Shamrocks did trouble the umpire one last time through Tori Duffy before Howley finished the scoring for the Saffron and Blue.
Scorers – Knockmore: Lara Sweeney 1-0-5 (3f), Clodagh Keane 1-0-0, Amy O’Connor, Hannah Reape and Shauna Howley (1f) 0-0-2 each, Sarah Mulvihill and Mia Traynor 0-0-1 each.
Kilmovee Shamrocks: Shauna Golden 1-0-4 (3f), Lisa Cafferky 1-0-0, Sinead Cafferky and Tori Duffy 0-0-1 each.
Knockmore: Grace Naughton; Caitlin Burke, Emily Hughes, Siofragh Kelly; Emily Reape, Roisin Flynn, Nina McVann; Sarah Mulvihill, Hannah Reape; Ciara Durkan, Shauna Howley, Sarah Dempsey; Amy O’Connor, Clodagh Keane, Lara Sweeney. Subs used: Mia Traynor (for Kelly), Marie Breslin (for Dempsey), Áine Clarke (for Sweeney).
Kilmovee: Méabh Lavin; Rebecca Towey, Ava Horgan, Serena Hanley; Anna Mai Regan, Lynda Hanley, Ilana Phillips; Sinead Cafferky, Leah McHugh; Katelyn Regan, Shauna Golden, Lucia McDonnell; Tori Duffy, Lisa Cafferky, Saerlaith Dillon. Subs used: Leanne Foley (for Phillips), Aoibhinn Conway (for Serena Hanley), Elise Phillips (for Saerlaith Dillon).
REF: Kevin Corcoran (Islandeady)
