Arva/Killeshandra 3-06 Kinawley 4-12

A first half goal blitz was decisive for Kinawley as they made it through to the Ladies Ulster Club Intermediate Championship final with a 4-12 to 3-06 victory over Cavan champions Arva/Killeshandra in Cavan on Sunday.

Arva/Killeshandra had beaten Armagh side Dromintee at the quarter-final stage and were regarded as favourites to progress to the final, especially with home advantage.

Kinawley though had other ideas and four first half goals from Shauna Melanaphy, Danielle Maguire, Joanne Doonan and Kayleigh Magee but them in the driving seat, a position they would not relinquish.

The Brian Borus manager Darren Boyle felt that his players were in a good place coming into the game.

“The attitude was right all week at training and I knew the attitude was good right from the minute we met at the football pitch before the game,” he said.

“It was a good first half performance and obviously the goals give you a good platform and we were able to keep a cushion throughout the second half,” he added.

Kinawley will now meet Emmet Og in the decider on Sunday November 4, the Monaghan outfit having beaten a good Donaghmore side by a point in their semi-final.

Boyle knows that the Fermanagh side will face a stern examination but he wants them to enjoy the preparations for the big game.

“It will be tough, you don’t get to a final and get it easy. We have a lot of work done and we have more work to do but we will enjoy the build up for it,” he stated.

Kinawley made a great start to the contest as Danielle Maguire and Shauna Melanaphy both found the back of the Arva/Killeshandra net in the early stages of the encounter, helping the Brian Borus into a 2-01 to 0-01 advantage.

The Fermanagh team carried a real goal threat each time they moved the ball into their attack and they were to find the back of the net on two more occasions in the first half through Kayleigh Magee and then Joanne Doonan who added the fourth five minutes prior to half time.

The Kinawley points in the first half came from Doonan, Roisin Reilly (2), Magee and Lisa Maguire and by the interval they were in a commanding position, leading by 12 points, 4-06 to 1-03.

Arva/Killeshandra did find a response at the start of the second goal and they bagged two goals in the opening nine minutes of the half as they closed the gap back to six points at one stage.

This though was as good as it got for the home side with Kinawley able to keep them at arms length over the remainder of the tie with Danielle Maguire, captain Courteney Murphy and Eimear Keenan all part of solid defensive display while Roisin Reilly produced a steady performance in the middle of the park.

And Kinawley were able to keep the scoreboard ticking over through Aine McManus, Reilly, Magee and Niamh McManus to run out nine point victors at the finish.