Armagh Ladies Semi Final Match Reports

Senior Championship Semi Finals

Carrickcruppen 1-16 Grange 0-15

These sides played out a tough and entertaining encounter, with the Camlough side doing enough to gain access to the final.

Caroline O’Hanlon, stationed at full forward, got her side off to a flying start with a goal in the opening moments of the game.

Hannah Duffy hit back for Grange before O’Hanlon was once again provided with a chance to rattle the net.

The Armagh star stepped up to strike a penalty but a brilliant save from the Grange netminder, Claire McGlennon, redirected the ball over the bar.

‘Cruppen played with the advantage of a strong wind and used this to their benefit, leading by 1-9 to 0-5 at the half time break.

Grange soon cut the deficit with five of the first six scores in the second half, Eimear Hayes proving a headache for the Cruppen defence.

Dearbhal McCullough hit an excellent long-range score for the leaders but two Hannah Duffy points narrowed the gap to two.

Caroline O’Hanlon, Megan Cinnamond and Sarah McCausland steadied the ship for ‘Cruppen with one point each.

Two points from Hannah Duffy kept Grange in the contest but they couldn’t do enough to get back on level terms and ‘Cruppen held on to book their spot in the final.

Armagh Harps 3-9 Shane O’Neill’s 4-4

Armagh Harps will once again contest the Senior Championship Final as they continued their good form to see off stiff opposition from Shane O’Neill’s.

Aimee Mackin rattled the net early on for her side before raising her second green flag of the half moments later.

This handed the Camlough women the initiative and they held a slender two-point lead at the half time break, 2-3 to 1-4.

Their advantage was soon cancelled out with two quickfire points from the Harps bringing the sides back on level terms.

Two goals followed and the Harps were now in the driving seat, leading by eight points at this stage.

Blaithin Mackin smashed home a penalty to hand the Shane’s a lifeline, before Aoibheann Jones got a three-pointer for her side to keep Shane O’Neill’s in contention.

They couldn’t get any closer however and the Harps made it through to the final, meeting Carrickcruppen in the decider.

Intermediate Championship Semi Finals

Ballyhegan 5-4 Cullyhanna 2-7

These sides played out a seven-goal contest on Friday evening with Ballyhegan doing enough to make it through to the showpiece.

Four first half goals gave Ballyhegan a huge 4-3 to 0-7 half time lead, with Martina O’Callaghan and Maria Murphy landing all of the Cullyhanna scores.

Both sides rattled the net in the second period, but St Patrick’s couldn’t do enough to get back into the game and Ballyhegan now go forward to the final.

Lissummon 3-8 Killeavy 1-10

Lissummon will be Ballyhegan’s opponents in this seasons Intermediate Championship after seeing off Killeavy.

Four points separated the sides by the time the final whistle sounded, with Lissummon’s three goals the telling difference between the sides.

Junior Championship Semi Finals

Craobh Ciaran 7-13 Tir na nOg 4-4

Craobh Ciaran and Tir na nOg played out an eleven-goal thriller on Sunday, with Craobh Ciaran getting through to the final.

Five second half goals from the eventual winners put the game beyond doubt, although just one point separated the sides at the interval.

Nikki Woods got Craobh Ciaran off to a flying start with a goal, but the Portadown side hit back with a goal of their own 10 minutes later.

A second Tir na nOg goal fired them ahead for the first time but points from Niamh Murphy and Maeve Lennon left the sides all square at the water break.

A penalty converted by Lennon got her side back on top before they rattled off two points to go five up.

Tir na nOg answered back with the final four points of the half, to leave the score at the interval Craobh Ciaran 2-7 Tir na nOg 3-3.

Niamh Murphy hit two goals in the opening two minutes of the second period to stretch the Craobh Ciaran lead.

Tir na nOg didn’t get off the mark until the 13th minute, with their fourth goal of the game, to bring the margin back to five.

But Craobh Ciaran weren’t to be denied, and further goals through Nikki Woods and two from Catherine Beagan guaranteed entrance to the Junior Final.