Shane O'Neill's Ladies season comes to an end

Shane O’Neill’s Camloch 2-05

Steelstown Brian Ógs 2-12

SHANE O’Neill’s season came to an end on Sunday, as they were defeated by Derry’s Steelstown Brian Ógs at home in the Ulster Senior Championship, writes Kieran Lynch.

The first half was evenly fought, with both teams creating plenty of chances on a wet and windy day.

However, Steelstown Brian Ógs showed their class in the second half and pulled away from their Camlough opponents – leading by as much as 10 points.

Whilst it’s a disappointing end to the campaign for Shane O’Neill’s, they can look back on the year with great pride, having won a first-ever Armagh Senior Championship, as well as the Division 2 title. They’ll hope to take learnings from their Ulster series, which included a game against Cavan champions Knockbride last week.

Steelstown showed a glimpse of their quality in the opening seconds of the game, as they won the throw-in and worked a chance for Orla McGeough, whose shot thundered off the Shane’s crossbar and stayed out.

Instead, it was the home side who opened the scoring through an Aimee Mackin free kick, before the same player doubled her team’s advantage with the score of the day.

Collecting the ball on the by-line to the right of the goals, she tried her luck from a seemingly impossible angle, and superbly split the posts in style.

Steelstown then had another sniff of goal, but Megan Devine’s shot was blocked well by Louise Kenny. However, they did get themselves on the scoreboard moments later when Dara McKeever raised a white flag.

McKeever then came inches away from raising a green one. After a well-worked move including McGeough and Emma Doherty, McKeever found herself in behind the Shane O’Neill’s defence. Luckily for the hosts though, she fired her low effort wide of the post.

A McGeough point levelled the game, before Blaithin Mackin came close to paying off a stupendous solo run with a goal, but she saw her attempt blocked by Kathryn Canavan.

The Derry champions went ahead for the first time when Caoimhe O’Kane opened her account, and they followed that up with another McKeever score. In between those points, McKeever had a half-chance at goal, but Armagh goalkeeper Brianna Mathers was up to the task and saved.

However, Shane O’Neill’s shot back into the lead when they grabbed the first goal of the game on 21 minutes. A well-worked team move, which included Aimee Mackin, Moya Sheridan, Sorcha McDonnell and Blaithin Mackin ended with the ball in the hands of Sinead McDonnell, and she made no mistake from close range, finishing into the bottom corner.

The home team had two further goal chances in the next few minutes, but Aimee Mackin saw her shot blocked by diving Steelstown full back Niamh Friel, before Sinead McDonnell fired wide from a tight angle moments later.

Two pointed frees from McGeough had the game level once more, before Aimee Mackin saw a goalbound shot saved by Molly McBride, but fired over on the rebound to leave the teams level at the half-time break.

McGeough picked up from where she left off in the first half, as she scored the first three points of the second half, before scores from Hannah Drinan and O’Kane had Steelstown five ahead.

During that period, Shane O’Neill’s saw Sinead McDonnell hit the crossbar and Aimee Mackin narrowly fire wide with a two-point effort.

They did finally break their second half scoring drought through an Aimee Mackin free, but then the Shane’s were left with a mountain to climb after Steelstown hit the net.

McKeever applied the finish – off the underside of the crossbar – after a one-two down the left wing. That made it 1-11 to 1-4 with just over 10 minutes to go.

Aimee Mackin responded from a free at the other end, but on 52 minutes it was game over when Steelstown raised another green flag. Ellie Williams was the goal scorer on this occasion, burying her chance low and hard into the bottom corner in a one on one, after her side won the ball high up the pitch.

Another O’Kane point added to her side’s tally, but to their credit, Shane O’Neill’s continued to battle. Abbie McVerry (twice), Moya Sheridan and Aimee Mackin all saw shots saved by Steelstown goalkeeper McBride in the dying minutes.

In stoppage time, the home team were awarded a penalty when McVerry was brought down close to goal, and Aimee Mackin applied the finish to cut the gap to seven.

There were no further scores after that, and the referee’s full-time whistle confirmed a successful day’s work for Steelstown, who progress through to the last four to face St Ergnat’s Moneyglass.

Shane O’Neill’s: Brianna Mathers; Ciara Jones, Emma Kenny, Hannah McMenamin; Ellen Hannaway, Sinead O’Neill, Caoimhe Feehan; Blaithin Mackin, Sorcha McDonnell; Sinead McDonnell (1-0), Niamh Carragher, Louise Kenny; Abbie McVerry, Aimee Mackin (1-5, 3f, 1pen), Moya Sheridan.

Subs: Dearbhla Carragher for E Kenny, Katie Feehan for Hannaway.

Steelstown Brian Ógs: Molly McBride; Nora Harkin, Niamh Friel, Tara Burns; Eve Mallet, Kathryn Canavan, Sarah Hunter; Dara McKeever (1-2), Orla McGeough (0-6, 2f); Caoimhe O’Kane (0-3), Emma Doherty, Megan Devine; Ellie Williams (1-0), Ella Rose Sainsbury, Hannah Drinan (0-1).

Subs: Dearbhla Coyle for O’Kane.

Referee: Gavin Finnegan (Down).