Ladies make it three league wins from three

Ladies NFL Division 3 Round 3

Cavan 6-17

Carlow 1-4

Aideen Coyle at Kingspan Breffni

After two wins on the road over Louth and Down, Emmet Daly took charge of Cavan ladies for the very first time in Kingspan Breffni on Sunday in search of a third consecutive win in the division three campaign. Carlow had one game played, which ended in a 2-11 to 1-8 win over Offaly last weekend.

Daly made two changes to the team that had a commanding win over the Mourne ladies last outing with Keri McCormack replacing the injured Catherine Dolan and Lucy Crowe getting her first start of the campaign in place of Sophie Daly.

In truth, the result was never in doubt from the offset as the Breffni women dominated every area of the field. Their opposition failed to create a single scoring opportunity in the opening half as Cavan took a deserving 4-16 to no score lead at the break in a one-sided affair.

With just 15 seconds on the clock youngster Ellie Brady fired to the back of Shannon Cotter’s net to set the tone for the game to follow. Cavan’s energy, athleticism and power in attack was evident across the hour as Carlow struggled to live with the pace and ruthlessness of the home side.

Michaela Fitzpatrick won the throw-in, playing a quick ball into Aishling Sheridan who exchanged a pass with the onrushing Brady to open the game’s scoring. The excellent Sinead Greene fired over a hat-trick of points from wingback after a Lauren McVeety pointed free to extend their side’s lead to seven.

With nine minutes on the clock, the struggling visitors were reduced to 14 as captain Roisin Bailey was shown a yellow card for a foul on Aishling Sheridan in the square. Cavan continuing to grow in confidence, inflicted further pain on Carlow in this timeframe, hitting a further 2-5. For the second week running McVeety converted from the penalty spot followed by one point apiece from Aisling Gilsenan, Shanise Fitzsimons and Brady. With a quarter played McVeety showed her class, converting a 40-metre free to push her side further ahead.

Two more from McVeety were followed by Cavan’s third goal of the tie as Aisling Gilsenan raised a green flag after receiving a brilliant over-the-top ball from the centre-forward. A Sheridan point and McVeety double were followed by Gilsenan’s second goal which came at the end of a top-class Cavan attack. McVeety once again was central, playing a long pass into the path of Sheridan who gathered at her ease before laying off to the run of Gilsenan, who made no mistake from close range.

In an almost identical move seconds later, Gilsenan added a point to her tally followed by a double from the excellent Sheridan to finish the opening half’s scoring and leave the hosts in the driving seat. Ahead comfortably, Daly made six changes at half-time and a further six throughout the second half.

Despite changes in personnel, Cavan picked up where they left off after the resumption with Lucy Jayne Grant opening the scoring with a point before Keri McCormack hit the back of the net from distance with a fortuitous goal. Carlow, to their credit, kept battling and playing with the aid of the breeze managed to open their scoring in the ninth minute through a well struck Cliodhna Ní She free. Minutes later, Orla Woods opened her account with a score from a tight angle.

Midway through the half, substitute Rebecca McLoughlin hit Cavan’s sixth and final goal after another well-orchestrated attack from the hosts. Grant played an inch-perfect pass over the top to McLoughlin who fired to the top corner of the net for her side’s final score of the game as Carlow finished strongly with 1-02. Woods and Ní She pointed another apiece before midfielder Bailey punished a mistake in the Cavan backline with a goal to finish the scoring on a forgettable day for the visitors.

After three wins from three, Cavan enjoy a week’s break next weekend before travelling to take on a Wexford side who have two wins and one loss to date in the campaign.

Cavan: Evelyn Baugh, Eimear Corcoran, Sinead Kelly, Lucy Crowe, Sinead Greene 0-03, Shauna Lynch, Hannah Gilsenan, Micaela Fitzpatrick, Ellyanna Madden, Keri McCormack 1-00, Lauren McVeety 1-06 (1-0 pen, 2f), Shanise Fitzsimons 0-01, Ellie Brady 1-01, Aishling Sheridan 0-03 (1f), Aisling Gilsenan 2-02

Subs: Lucy Jayne Grant 0-01 for L. McVeety, Annie Deneher for M. Fitzpatrick, Rebecca McLoughlin 1-00 for E. Madden, Deirbhile Lynch for S. Greene, Hannah Fitzsimons for E. Corcoran, Sarah McCabe for S. Fitzsimons, Niamh Keenaghan for A. Gilsenan, Deirbhile McCaffrey for A. Sheridan, Niamh McCorry for E. Brady, Caoimhe Madden for H. Gilsenan, Sophie Daly for S. Kelly, Helen Corcoran for E. Baugh

Carlow: Shannon Cotter, Sinead McCullagh, Edel Hayden, Katie Tunstead, Tara Lyons, Elaine Ware, Beibhin Nolan, Roisin Bailey 1-00, Orla Woods 0-02, Bronagh Nolan, Cliodhna Ní She 0-02 (2f), Ella Molly, Sinead Hayden, Megan Townsend, Aibha Kieranan

Subs: Marie Cranny for B. Nolan, Amy Hanley for E. Ware, Nicole Hanley for S. Cotter, Maeve O’Neill for T. Lyons, Genevieve Sherlock for K. Tunstead, Katie Burke for S. Hayden, Sarah Nolan forB. Nolan, Amy Farrell for A. Kiernan, Leanne Carroll for E. Hayden, Eve Sinnott for M. Townsend

Ref: Aaron Clogher.