Limerick Ladies suffer disappointing defeat to Sligo in All-Ireland junior championship

LIMERICK Ladies hopes of making the last four of this year’s TG4 All-Ireland Junior championship came to end as they no match for Sligo in a 2-13 to 1-4 defeat at Cloonacool on Sunday afternoon.

The sides were level after ten minutes of play as Sligo opened the scoring through Ellen Kelleher from a free and point from Tara Breheny.

However, lively Deborah Murphy had the sides level as she kicked two points in the space of two minutes for Limerick.

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Sligo would take control of proceedings as they scored six points without reply with Anna McDaniel and Leah Duffy among the scores.

Limerick needed a score badly and that’s what they got with a goal 28 minutes as Rebecca Delee found the back of the net after excellent work from Roisin Ambrose.

Sligo had the final say of the half, however, when Duffy pointed to leave four between the sides at the break 0-9 to 1-2.

Caoimhe Macnamara then landed a big score for her side after the restart, but that was as close as would get from a Limerick point of view.

Sligo responded with two points without reply and goal from Breheny on 41 minutes to put daylight between the sides once again.

McNamara did reply with a point to cut the gap seven but Sligo controlled the final ten minutes and added a second goal before the end from Sarah Feeney.

Scorers: Limerick: Rebecca Delee 1-0; Deborah Murphy, Caoimhe McNamara 0-2 each. Sligo: Leah Duffy 0-5,1f; Ellen Kelleher 0-5,3fs; Tara Breheny 1-2; Sarah Feeney 1-0; Anna McDaniel 0-1

LIMERICK: Sophie Hennessy; Sarah Dillion, Yvonne Lee, Joanne McGuire; Meadhbh McNamara, Lucy O’Brien, Grace Lee; Orla Ryan, Grace Mullane; Caoimhe McNamara, Rebecca Delee, Karen O’Leary; Deborah Murphy, Cathy Mee, Roisin Ambrose. Subs used: Caoimhe McGrath for Karen O’Leary (half-time); Ciara Hynes for Yvonne Lee (half-time); Lauren Ryan for Orla Ryan (46 mins); Aoife Morrissey for Deborah Murphy (46 mins); Ellie Woulfe for Meadhbh McNamara (48 mins).

SLIGO: Ellen McGuire; Aisling Molloy, Claire Dunne, Hannah Walsh; Cara King, Ciara Walsh, Tara Breheny; Sinead Regan, Robyn Kennedy; Megan McCormack, Ellen Kelleher, Sarah Feeney; Leah Duffy, Cora Gilligan, Anna McDaniel. Subs used: Nisha McDonagh for Robyn Kennedy (39 mins); Tara Doddy for Megan McCormack (48 mins); Jennie Creegan for Cara King (60 mins).

REFEREE: Anthony Campbell (Derry)