Breffni ladies maintain unbeaten start with nervy win over Wexford

Ladies NFL Division 2 round 3

Cavan 1-11

Wexford 2-6

Aideen Coyle at St Brigid’s Park

Cavan lined out for the third consecutive weekend determined to maintain their unbeaten start to the 2026 campaign. They welcomed a Wexford side who, like themselves, had earned promotion to Division 2 but had yet to register a point from their opening two rounds, having faced the same opposition in Tipperary and Mayo.

Cavan came into the tie with the dangerous label of favourites off the back of an impressive win last week over Tipperary. The 2025 Division 3 champions were made work extremely hard for their two-point win on Sunday but will be happy to come out on the right end of the result, having struggled to shake off the challenge of a tenacious Wexford side.

The sides were level six times across the hour in an exciting contest played in front of a large crowd. The Breffni ladies took a one-point advantage at half-time thanks to a Catherine Dolan strike after a below-par performance in front of goal for the hosts, who registered seven wides in the opening half. However, the side showed real character, resilience and composure to grind out a hard-fought win, with a Niamh Keenaghan goal after half-time key, alongside a number of heroic saves from the outstanding Evelyn Baugh.

Wexford made the brighter start, opening the scoring in the fourth minute through an Emma Tomkins free. Aishling Sheridan replied three minutes later to level matters, but from the resulting kick-out the visitors struck the opening goal. Orlaith Byrne carved open the Cavan defence before finishing emphatically to the net, helping Wexford into an early three-point lead.

Cavan responded perfectly with the next four scores to take the lead for the very first time. Ella Sheridan led the charge with a brace of points before two superb efforts from Niamh Keenaghan edged her side ahead. Parity was soon restored when, not for the first time in the half, Siobhán Cloake’s kick-out picked out a teammate and the move ended with Emma Tomkins splitting the posts.

Free-takers Tomkins and Sheridan traded a point apiece as half-time approached in Knockbride. With the last attack of the opening half, the exceptional Catherine Dolan pointed at the end of a trademark run to hand Cavan a slender 0-07 to 1-03 lead.

The second half began in similarly frustrating fashion for the hosts, who failed to convert any of their opening six attacks. However, they did open their account in emphatic fashion in the ninth minute after Evelyn Baugh denied Ciara Banville at the opposite end. Baugh found clubmate Dolan with her kick-out before the attacker combined with Keenaghan, who rattled the top of the net to push Cavan four ahead.

Wexford goalscorer Byrne reduced the arrears with a point before a frantic spell saw both goalkeepers called into action. Cavan felt they had a strong claim for a penalty when Aishling Sheridan appeared to be fouled as she burst through on goal, but the referee waved away the protests.

Two minutes later Sheridan played through Rebecca McLoughlin for a goal-scoring chance, but the forward was denied by a superb save from Cloake. Seconds later Wexford had a goal chance of their own denied by an equally impressive save from Cavan’s Baugh.

With 20 minutes played in the second half, the sides were level for the fifth time as Sherene Hamilton palmed to the Cavan net after a pass from Aoife Cullen. Fourteen minutes after their goal, Cavan restored their one-point lead with a Sheridan free after a foul on Dolan. But the sides were once again level moments later as substitute Ciara Bridges pointed to set up a nervy conclusion to the Round 3 clash.

As the game neared its conclusion, Cavan showed why they are unbeaten, hitting three of the final four scores. Rebecca McLoughlin pointed a close-range free won by herself before Dolan fisted over from distance. Beibhinn McDonald trimmed the gap back to the minimum, but there was still time for corner-back Zara Fay to cap a fine display. The Drumlane woman pointed after good work from the industrious Keenaghan and Christina Charters to seal the victory.

Next up for Cavan is an away trip to take on also unbeaten Donegal, who are managed by former Cavan ladies manager James Daly, in two weeks’ time.

Cavan: Evelyn Baugh, Emma McIntyre, Sinead Kelly, Zara Fay 0-01, Sinead Greene, Christina Charters, Deirbhile Lynch, Ciara Boylan, Keri McCormack, Niamh Keenaghan 1-02, Ella Sheridan 0-04 (0-03f), Catherine Dolan 0-02, Clara Lynch, Aishling Sheridan 0-01, Muireann Cusack

Subs used: Cora McDonnell for S. Greene, Rebecca McLoughlin 0-01 (0-01f) for C. Boylan, Micaela Fitzpatrick for K. McCormack, Katie Mai Reilly for C. Lynch, Ellyanna Madden for M. Cusack

Wexford: Siobhan Cloake, Julia Dempsey, Katie English, Kellyanne Dempsey, Orlaith Kehoe, Aisling Halligan, Ciara Banville, Beibhinn McDonald 0-01, Amelia Furlong, Roisin Hughes, Grace Donovan, Aoife Cullen, Ciara Roban, Orlaith Byrne 1-01, Emma Tomkins 0-03 (0-02f)

Subs used: Niamh Cullen for K. Dempsey, Sherene Hamilton 1-00 for E. Tomkins, Ciara Bridges 0-01 for C. Roban, Shauna Murphy for K. English

Ref: Philip Conway (Armagh)

See today's print edition for analysis and reaction.