Ladies pick up third win on the bounce

Ladies NFL Division 2

Cavan 2-9

Roscommon 2-8

Gritty Cavan came up with the last two scores of the game to pick up another win in Division 2 of the National League at Kingspan Breffni on Sunday last.

Gerry Moane’s side have now won three in a row and all by a point, which should do wonders for their confidence going forward.

Cavan trailed by two, 1-6 to 1-4, at the end of an evenly contested first half during which the sides were level on four occasions.

Munterconnaught-Mountnugent attacker Aisling Gilsenan opened the scoring but her effort was quickly cancelled out by Roscommon’s Aisling Hanley. Killygarry’s Aisling Walls was next to register for the home side but Roscommon captain Laura Fleming responded with a free.

Cavan then hit the jackpot when the powerful Aishling Sheridan rattled the net but the Connacht side’s response was swift as a superb goal from Fleming tied the game again.

Geraldine Smith soon nudged the hosts into the lead again but Roscommon replied through the reliable Hanly. Gilsenan, from play, had Cavan’s last score of the half but two from Hanly (one free) and one for Niamh Feeney saw the Rossies go in at half-time with a hard-earned two-point advantage.

Cavan got off to a flying start on the resumption. Lauren McVeety knocked over two frees either side of a point from play by Smith as Cavan grabbed the lead back with 11 second-half minutes played.

Then came the key score of the match right on the three-quarter mark, scored from close range by Ally Cahill after Helena Cummins parried the midfielder’s penalty; that made it 2-7 to 1-6.

Roscommon dug deep and were denied a sure goal by a terrific goal-line block from Neasa Byrd but Roscommon drew level once more with a free from Hanly and a goal from full-forward Feeney. That left it all square with eight minutes of normal time remaining.

With six minutes to play, Laura Fleming’s pointed free edged Roscommon in front, and the width of the post then denied Feely a second goal as the Boyle player floated a shot over Roisín O’Reilly in the Cavan goal, only to see her shot rebound off the post and just out of reach of Aisling Hanly, who was lurking on the scene.

Roscommon hit the front through Fleming (free) but Cavan’s riposte was immediate, McVeety notching a similar effort.

It was anyone game’s as the clock ticked down but an outstanding free from Gilsenan, with normal time almost up, edged the Cavan ladies in front and there they stayed to seal a spirited and important victory.

The margins are fine at senior level; four times this year, Roscommon have lost by three points or less while Cavan have been on the right side of it in their recent wins over Westmeath and Monaghan, claiming victory by the slenderest of margins.

Cavan, who have something of a new-look side this year but still retain a core of experience including but not confined to the likes of Sheridan, Byrd and Shauna Lynch among others, will take great heart from picking up a third win on the bounce.

They are next out on March 19 when they play Laois away; the following week, they conclude the group stages with a trip to take on Ulster rivals Tyrone.

Cavan: Róisín O’Reilly; Gráinnne Gaulkner, Shauna Lynch, Christina Charters; Annie Deneher, Neasa Byrd, Rebecca O’Reilly; Caoimhe Madden, Ally Cahill (1-0); Deirbhile Lynch, Aisling Walls (0-1), Aisling Gilsenan (0-3, 1f); Lauren McVeety (0-2, 1f), Aishling Sheridan (1-0), Geraldine Smith (0-2)

Subs: Zara Fay for Deneher (half-time), Cara Maguire for Rebecca O’Reilly (48 mins), Kerri McCormack for Lynch (53 mins), Ellyanna Madden for C. Madden (58 mins).

Roscommon: H Cummins; Á McGrath, R Fitzmaurice, S Wynne; E Irwin, R Cox, R Wynne; L O’Rourke, C Cregg; L Fleming (1-2, 2f), A Gavin, M. Hagan; A Hanly (0-5, 3f), A Curran, N Feeney (0-1)

Subs: A Feely (1-0) for Curran (35 mins), A Shanagher for Hagan (48 mins).

Referee: G. Finnegan (Down).