Goals from Brick and Dunne propel St Mary’s to fine victory

St Mary's, Rochfortbridge 2-10, The Downs 0-10

In a gripping ladies Senior Football Championship encounter at Rochfortbridge on Thursday evening, St Mary’s secured a well-deserved victory over The Downs, prevailing by four points in the end. Played in breezy conditions, the match saw the home side deliver a clinical performance, despite missing key players like Fiona Coyle, Jenny Judge, and Michaela Brady from their starting fifteen.

St Mary's set the tone early, with a determined and high-pressing approach that had The Downs under pressure from the outset. This modern tactic paid dividends when they forced a crucial turnover in the 15th minute. Full-forward Catriona Dunne was the hero, capping off the move by slotting the ball into the roof of the net via the underside of the crossbar after latching onto a precise pass from Ava Balfe. That goal was part of a 1-2 blitz without reply, which gave St Mary’s a commanding 1-6 to 0-3 lead at half-time - The Downs minus Lucy Power for a 10-minute sin-binning either side of the break.

The Downs, who came into the game as favourites, were left to rue their wastefulness in front of goal. Their best chance to get back into the match came in the 23rd minute when Beth McGuire stepped up to take a penalty after Olivia Glynn was fouled. However, McGuire sent her effort wide, summing up a frustrating first half for The Downs, who also struggled with an inordinate number of wides.

St Mary’s were more clinical in front of the posts, with Megan Brick pointing early to get them off the mark. Brick was outstanding throughout, ably supported by the hard-working Nicola Judge, Ava Balfe, and Aoife Brady. The Downs, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm, managing just three points in the first half – two frees from Britney McNamee and a point from Holly Dowdall.

The second half saw The Downs attempt a comeback, with McNamee again leading the charge, pointing twice in quick succession to narrow the gap to three points by the 37th minute. But just as they seemed to be gaining momentum, St Mary's responded with composure. Brick, ever reliable from placed balls, pointed a free before The Downs' Lucy Power hit back with a point from play.

The defining moment came in the 54th minute when St Mary's were awarded a penalty after Dunne was fouled as she attempted to break through for a goal. The Downs' Amy Dagg received a yellow card for the challenge; Brick stepped up and coolly dispatched the penalty, stretching St Mary’s lead to seven points (2-8 to 0-7) and effectively sealing the victory.

The Downs were visibly upset, particularly over what they perceived as a misapplication of the sin-bin rule. Under this rule, a player shown a yellow card must leave the field for 10 minutes of playing time, during which the team is reduced to 14 players. The Downs contended that their players spent extra minutes in the sin-bin due to confusion over whether stoppage time was included in the 10 minutes. Referee Paul McCaughey insisted the sin-bin period was correctly applied, clarifying that only playing time is counted, and any stoppage time during that period is not considered.

Despite a late flurry from The Downs, including a series of points from McNamee and Power deep into injury time, St Mary's held firm to secure the win. Ayesha Roche was immense at centre-back, marshalling her defence with authority, while Brick’s accuracy and Dunne’s attacking flair proved too much for The Downs to handle. David Mitchell’s St Mary’s will take great heart from this performance, knowing they were the more clinical and composed side on the evening. For The Downs, last year's finalists, this defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow. However, they will be eager to regroup and bounce back in the next round of the championship.

Scorers - St Mary's Rochfortbridge: M Brick 1-6 (1-0 pen; 5f), C Dunne 1-2, A Balfe 0-1 (1f). The Downs: B McNamee 0-8 (6f), L Power 0-2, H Dowdall 0-1.

St Mary’s - Dawn Wallace; Rebecca Nolan, Amy Cully, Lisa Flanagan; Becky Scally, Ayesha Roche, Lucy Brogan; Aoife Brady, Niamh McDermott; Nicola Judge, Orla Collins, Megan Brick; Ava Balfe, Catriona Dunne, Elizabeth Carey. Subs: Emma Collins for L Brogan (h-t), Jenny Judge for Carey (60+6), Sophie Collins for N Judge (60+10).

The Downs - Shauna Conneely; Lauren Guilfoyle, Amy Dagg, Emily McNamee; Aoife Rowan, Niamh Nolan, Lucy Power; Megan Dowdall, Francesca Walshe; Niamh Rowan, Sheila McGrath, Olivia Glynn; Holly Dowdall, Beth McGuire, Britney McNamee. Subs: Gillian Ferguson for A Rowan and Aisling Egerton for Guilfoyle (h-t), Andrea Coleman for McGuire (47), Kristabella Tamosiunaite for Nolan (inj., 58), Annie McDonald for Glynn (60+1).

Ref - Paul McCaughey (Milltown).