Limerick prove too good for Carlow in Lidl Ladies National Football League

LIMERICK'S ladies footballers have all but guaranteed their stay in Division 3 of the LIDL LGFA National Football League thanks to  a 2-9 to 1-3 victory over Carlow at TUS, Moylish on Friday night.

The Sean Kiely and Mike Quilligan-managed Limerick side kept Carlow scoreless in the second half on their way to their third victory of the league campaign. 

Limerick got off the mark with two minutes on the clock thanks to a Rebecca Delee point and the same player could have nabbed their first goal moments later only to be denied by Nicole Hanley’s save.

Carlow had a goal chance of their own through Sarah Nolan only for her shot to cannon off the post before Megan Townsend levelled the contest.

Limerick then hit the front with scores from Roisin Ambrose and Deborah Murphy, with a Cliodhna Ní Shé score in reply for Carlow.

Missed goal chances told the tale of the first half for Limerick after Murphy and Orla Ryan were both denied by Hanley in the space of 60 seconds.

Carlow then went down the other end themselves and hit the front for the first time after Ní Shé put Ella Molloy in on goal and she fired to the net from close range.

Elaine Ware then put Carlow 1-3 to 0-3 up with a fine point from play but that was to be as good as it got for the visitors.

Limerick responded with three points in-a-row from Murphy in the space of as many minutes to square the game up at the break.

It was one-way traffic throughout the second half with Limerick in full control with Macnamara’s goal on 38 minutes proving crucial.

Cathy Mee’s shot hit the crossbar and the Knockainey youngster was first to react with a classy finish into the left hand corner of the net.

Iris Kenneally chipped in with a point and then had a penalty saved in the final stages. Kenneally was then fouled from the rebound and Murphy slotted the penalty, sending Hanley the wrong way.

Georgia Keane and Murphy added late points from play for Limerick as they cruised to victory by a 10-point margin in Moylish.

SCORERS: Limerick: Deborah Murphy 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Caoimhe Macnamara 1-0, Rebecca Delee, Roisin Ambrose, Iris Kenneally and Georgia Keane 0-1 each. Carlow: Ella Molloy 1-0, Megan Townsend, Cliodhna Ní Shé (1f) and Elaine Ware 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Sophie Hennessy (Old Mill); Sarah Dillon (Pallasgreen), Yvonne Lee (Monagea), Roisin Browne (Monagea); Grace Lee (Monagea), Cathy Mee (Ballylanders), Meadbh McNamara (St Ailbes), Grace Mullane (Monagea), Orla Ryan (St Ailbes); Roisin Ambrose (Old Mill), Deborah Murphy (Monagea), Karen O’Leary (Monagea); Lucy O’Brien (Feohanagh-Castlemahon), Rebecca Delee (Feohanagh-Castlemahon), Caoimhe Macnamara (Knockainey). Subs: Iris Kenneally (Old Mill) for O’Brien (h-t), Ellie Woulfe (Monagea) for G Lee (42 mins), Georgia Keane (St Ailbes) for Macnamara (51 mins), Eadaoin Crowe (Oola) for Ryan (58 mins), Joanne McGuire for Browne (58 mins), Chloe Brosnahan (Fr Caseys) for McNamara (59 mins), Caoimhe McGrath (Fr Caseys) for O’Leary (59 mins), Ciara Hynes (Knockainey) for Dillon (62 mins).

CARLOW: Nicole Hanley; Katie Tunstead, Sinead McCullagh, Aoife Carroll; Tara Lyons, Roisin Bailey, Orla Woods; Aibha Kiernan, Edel Hayden; Ella Molloy, Cliodhna Ní Shé, Bronagh Nolan; Sarah Nolan, Roisin Ware, Megan Townsend. Subs: Marie Cranny for E Hayden (39 mins), Maeve O’Neill for Nolan (41 mins), Kate Burke for Woods (49 mins), Sinead Hayden for Townsend (49 mins). 

REFEREE: Gus Chapman (Sligo).