Davis denied berth in Senior Ladies Final
THOMAS Davis were denied a place in the New Ireland Assurance Dublin Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final after losing out 1-7 to 0-7 against St Brigid’s at Lawless Park in Swords on Saturday night.
In a match that was largely dominated by two rugged defences, it was a penalty by goalkeeper Ciara Trant from Newcastle that was to prove the difference between the sides at the final whistle.
It was Brigid’s who found the mark first, Amy Fitzpatrick and Emma Sherwood both hitting points from play after bursts into the Thomas Davis backline.
So it remained until the 15th minute, though in the process Ciara McGuigan fired a shot across the bows of Ciara Trant’s goal, and Thomas Davis looked marginally the better side.
Brigid’s, however, were markedly more clinical, and doubled their lead to 0-4 to 0-0 after 20 minutes through Noelle Healy and another Sherwood effort.
Soon, the Blanchardstown outfit were starting to play the ball around, and the momentum certainly swung their way when they were awarded a penalty and goalkeeper Trant tucked the shot away.
Orlagh McGuigan’s late point ensured Davis’ didn’t draw a first-half blank, but St Brigid’s went in 1-5 to 0-1 in front.
The scrappiness continued into the second half, with both sides hitting early wides in increasingly frosty conditions.
McGuigan dropped over a free for Davis six minutes in and Kate Fitzsimmons clipped high on the Brigid’s post shortly afterwards.
Davis were growing into the game, though and Sinead Deegan’s point from wide on the left gave them confidence.
The scoreboard still showed a two-goal margin, though Ciara McGuigan’s free, clawed out from under her bar by Trant, was nearly scrambled into the Brigid’s goal on the rebound.
A pair of McGuigan frees closed the gap to four points with ten minutes remaining although the Tallaght side did have to scramble the ball out from close to their goal line with five minutes left before they themselves smashed the crossbar with their final play.
While, they did win the second half by four points, it will be Brigid’s who will play Foxrock Cabinteely in the county final for the third time in four years.
