Lurgan ladies dig deep to overcome Monaghan champions

Ulster Ladies Club SFC quarter-final

Lurgan 3-6

Emmet Óg 1-10

Paul Fitzpatrick at Dolan Park

Three early goals proved key as Cavan ladies senior champions Lurgan advanced to the semi-final of the Ulster Club SFC with this hard-earned win over Monaghan champions Emmet Óg.

Lurgan started brightly - their first three scores were majors - but they found themselves under pressure against the Monaghan women, who ended Donaghmoyne’s dominance in the Farney county and draw their players from the Aghabog, Éire Óg and Currin clubs. Managed by Castlerahan clubman Enda Flanagan, Emmet Óg were expected to provide a much sterner challenge for Lurgan than Derry’s Steelstown, whom Lurgan beat easily last week, and so it proved.

After Kacey McDermott’s brilliantly-taken goal made it 3-0 to 0-2 after 12 minutes, the scores dried up for Neil Quigley’s Lurgan side, who wouldn’t register again until three minutes into the second half, and they had goalkeeper Evelyn Baugh to thank for dealing with some dangerous high deliveries and pulling off one top-class save from the lively Sarah Tierney.

However, the home side were better after the break and managed to pin Emmet Óg back for long spells, with Clara Lynch outstanding in attack throughout and the likes of Aoife Brady, Ciara Brady and Catherine Dolan also impressing in a much-improved second half performance.

While they will be disappointed with aspects of their play, there was no doubting Lurgan’s grit and desire and the battle will stand them in good stead as they seek to return to the Ulster final for the second successive year.

Lauren Brady opened the scoring for the Monaghan ladies before, three minutes in, Clara Lynch used her pace to beat a defender around the outside and saw her point attempt drop into the top corner of the net to hand Lurgan a lead they would not relinquish.

Sarah Tierney levelled matters with a free but Lurgan struck for their second goal in spectacular fashion. It began with a measured pass out of defence by Cora McDonnell and developed through the pace of Catherine Dolan down the left flank. Dolan drew the cover before squaring to Edith Lynch, who finished emphatically from close range.

The third goal was even better. After three Emmet Óg wides, Lurgan worked a brilliant move the length of the field from Baugh’s kick-out. The hard-working Éabha Hayes and Ciara Tolan were involved before McDermott rifled a superb finish into the top corner to make it 3-0 to 0-2 after just 12 minutes.

But as the half wore on, Lurgan’s early fluency deserted them. They were a bit ragged in possession and repeatedly ran into cul-de-sacs, with Emmet Óg’s well-structured rearguard turning them over and launching counter-attacks.

Chloe McBride converted a free to narrow the gap and Tierney was on target from two more placed balls as Emmet Óg began to settle. Another left-footed free from McBride left it 3-0 to 0-6 and the visitors thought they had a goal when Baugh – the leading contender for Player of the Match along with Lynch - broke down a high delivery and Tierney pounced, but the score was ruled out for a square ball infringement.

Moments later, Lauren Brady laid off perfectly for Tierney, whose shot was destined for the top corner only for Baugh to produce a magnificent one-handed save. A Tierney free just before the interval left it 3-0 to 0-7 at half-time and the momentum appeared to be with the Monaghan champions.

The second half began with another score for the visitors as McBride pointed after pouncing on a rebound, cutting the deficit to a single point. Lurgan, however, responded like champions.

Clara Lynch, a constant threat with her pace and direct running, restored a two-point cushion with a fisted point in the 33rd minute. Aoife Brady added a tricky free before Lurgan landed one of the scores of the match – Niamh Tolan forced a turnover and Lynch swept over a superb point on the run to make it 3-3 to 0-8 with 20 minutes remaining.

At this stage, Emmet Óg introduced county star Ellen McCarron in a bid to turn the tide, but Lynch continued to torment the Monaghan defence, adding another excellent point after a neat pass from Ciara Brady.

Aoife Brady then converted a sweetly-struck left-footed free that curled inside the post to stretch the lead to four and when Lynch added another free to make it 3-6 to 0-8, it looked like Lurgan would cruise home.

Emmet Óg, though, refused to fold. McCarron converted a free to keep them in touch but they were wasteful in front of goal, racking up four more wides. The Monaghan women piled on the pressure in the closing stages, forcing Lurgan into some last-ditch defending, with Ciara Brady and Kristina Grigorenko among those making vital interventions.

At the start of injury time, Emmet Óg finally found the net when McCarron finished a well-worked move with a low shot, reducing the deficit to just two points at 3-6 to 1-10. That set up a tense finale but Lurgan, showing the resilience that has brought them so much success in recent seasons, held their composure and closed out the game.

Lurgan: Evelyn Baugh, Ellen O’Donoghue, Cora McDonnell, Kristina Grigorenko, Sinead Kelly, Ciara Brady, Eimear Corcoran, Niamh Tolan, Eabha Hayes, Ciara Tolan, Edith Lynch (1-0), Catherine Dolan, Aoife Brady (0-2f), Kacey McDermott (1-0), Clara Lynch (1-4, 1f)

Subs: Shannah Galligan for C Tolan (ht), Caoimhe Halpin for E Hayes (57), Niamh Daly for K McDermott (60)

Emmet Óg: Bridin Tierney, Rebecca Hughes, Áine McQuaid, Orna McCooey, Kerry Nolan, Charlotte McMenamin, Anita Tighe, Marian McCarville, Ellen Leonard, Maeve Monaghan, Chloe McBride (0-3, 2f), Lauren Brady (0-1), Mairead Cusack, Amy Jo Kierans, Sarah Tierney (0-4f)

Subs: Ellen McCarron (1-2, 2f) for M Cusack (40), Dearbhla Quigley for M McCarville (49), Lily Monaghan for E Leonard, Bronagh McPhilips for C McMenamin (both 50)

Ref: Siobhán Coyle (Donegal)