Final score – O’Donovan Rossa, Magherafelt 3-9 St Treas, Ballymaguigan 2-7 (after extra time)
IT was joy for Magherafelt on Saturday in Watty Graham Park, Glen when they lifted the Derry ladies Intermediate Football Championship title after an extra-time victory over Ballymaguigan.
The Rossa girls looked on for victory in normal time only to be pegged back with two injury time points to force the game into extra-time.
Both sides produced an absorbing encounter in difficult conditions with a strong wind. At the end, it was Magherafelt who were celebrating and deservedly so with Niamh O’Donnell and Jeanette Slevin leading the way contributing 3-6 between them while Emma McLaughlin was superb at the other end of the field.
Anna Martin, brought the game to extra-time with her late free and it was the Ballymaguigan girl who got the scoring underway in the game as they faced into the wind.
The excellent O’Donnell and Jemma Shivers traded points before Slevin with a clinical finish on 19 minutes rattled in the opening goal. O’Donnell with a free stretched the advantage but with an Aoife McGlone point and a Lauren Crozier goal, ‘Guigan hit the front. Rochelle Rocks levelled and they were never to be behind again.
O’Donnell converted a penalty when she was fouled herself. The first of a number of yellow cards came deep into added time with Ballymaguigan the first of the recipients and Slevin with a point left it 2-4 to 1-3 at the break.
On the resumption, Ballymaguigan quickly cut that deficit to the minimum when Nicole Nugent found the net to give them the perfect start to the half.
The game swung from side to side with both sides wasting opportunities while also excellent defending from both teams.
Further yellow cards followed before Slevin pointed a free for the Rossa with 13 minutes remaining. Martin and O’Donnell swapped points to leave it a two point game entering the final few minutes.
With McLaughlin and her fellow defenders holding firm it looked like Magherafelt were going to hold out. Not so, as a point from substitute Katy Shivers and Martin tapped over the free sent the game into extra-time.
In the first half of the extra-time, Aoife Gormley, pointed for Magherafelt while Martin was on target for Ballymaguigan.
It was in the second period that Magherafelt took control again and it was a moment of brilliance from O’Donnell that was to prove the crucial moment. Her vision and then the pin-point pass to Slevin to make no mistake with a clinical finish to the net.
Further points from O’Donnell and Kate Higgins rounded off the win and signal the celebrations.
Teams and Scorers
Magherafelt: Ellie Conway; Emma McLaughlin, Grace Brewster, Sarah Herron; Anna Donnelly, Dervla McGuckin, Leah Brewster; Orla McEvoy, Annie Kilpatrick; Aine Young, Niamh O’Donnell (1-4), Aoife Gormley (0-1); Rochelle Rocks (0-1), Kate Higgins (0-1), Jeanette Slevin (2-2).
Rest of Panel: Eimear Doherty, Eimear Lennox, Niamh McGarry, Niamh Herron, Dearbhla Quinn, Therese Tohill, Clare Kearns, Ciara Monaghan, Mia McErlain, Lily Hur, Aimee Murray, Brid Corrigan, Sinead Comer, Mia Slevin.
Ballymaguigan: Ellie Close; Kate Gribben, Clare McCartney, Joanne Corr; Anna Mulholland, Nicole Nugent (1-0), Rachel Keenan; Annie Crozier, Kayla Letters; Erin Doherty, Anna Martin (0-4), Dervla Stinson; Jemma Shivers (0-1), Lauren Crozier (1-0), Aoife McGlone (0-1).
Rest of Panel: Katy Shivers (0-1), Chloe O’Neill, Sara Doyle, Mollie McGahan, Kate Crozier, Seona Walls, Duvessa Quinn, Aoife McOscar, Lucy Harris, Hannah McEldowney, Oonagh Doyle, Aoife Doherty, Lile Keenan, Emer Love, Ava McPeake, Caitlin McGuckin, Sara Gribben.
Referee: Jude Dixon
Runners up Ballymaguigan
