Graffin goal seals Down camogs date with Kerry

Graffin goal seals Down camogs date with Kerry

9 July 2025

THIS Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate quarter-final in Clonduff Park, Hilltown, was a lot more evenly contested than the final scoreline suggests.

The turning point came in the 49th minute when Down produced a tasty move on the left wing.

Niamh McGrath won possession and off-loaded to Dearbhla Magee, who took the sliotar at pace and drove towards goal.

Magee’s pass to Saoirse Sands looked to have left the Portaferry player with a very narrow angle for a shot. But Sands looked up and spotted Sara Louise Graffin unmarked across goal with the Meath defence sucked towards the play.

A well-weighed pass found Graffin and she buried the goal that effectively put Down into the semi-final draw later in the afternoon.

Graffin dominated this quarter-final with the goal added to six points earlier in the game, while Sands and Magee provided excellent scoring support with 1-2 and 0-4 respectively.

However, just as important to Down making the semi-final draw was Cassie Fitzpatrick in goal. Apart from saving a penalty in the 13th minute, Fitzpatrick, playing on her home pitch, pulled off at least two top class saves in each half.

Yes, Meath were competitive enough in this game and posed danger to Down. But the home side found a way around them and for the second successive Saturday secured a victory over the Royals to add to the under 23 win.

Saoirse Sands opened the scoring after three minutes, but there was a nervousness in the Down play. They dominated general exchanges, but were guilty of hitting four wides before their second score in the eighth minute. One of those wides was a goal-scoring opportunity for Niamh McGrath.

Dearbhla Magee eventually burst through for a point and Graffin followed up with two points before Magee registered her second score in the 13th minute.

A minute earlier Isabel O’Connor had opened Meath’s account with a point and then won a penalty seconds after Magee’s point. However Cassie Fitzpatrick stood up to Ciara Foley’s strike, killed the shot and got her clearance in.

A couple of minutes later, Graffin and Magee had stretched the Down lead to 0-7 to 0-1.

The play in the ten minutes before half-time became a little fractured with several stoppages for attendance to injuries. Down couldn’t push on and it wasn’t until the 30th minute that Graffin added to the score-board with her fourth point of the day.

Then, in the last minute of the five added for those stoppages, Meath produced two scores to close the gap to five points.

Ellen Burke closed it further with a fine point on the re-start and you wondered if Meath had eventually found their feet.

Sara Louise Graffin – who else? – slowed the Royals’ progress by winning and converting a free, and her half-forward colleagues, Magee and Sands, made it 0-11 to 0-4 with good finishes.

Meath responded with points from Aoife Carey (free) and O’Connor with her third point. Time for Graffin to once again take centre-stage.

The Clonduff veteran slotted a 43rd minute free and then took a pass wide into the right corner. She beat her player and delivered a pop-pass for Sands who neatly side-stepped her marker and headed into the gap to find the net.

Carey pointed a free in return, but the next score was Down’s well-worked goal in the 49th minute. Carey hit back with three points over the last 11 plus minutes with just a pointed 45 in reply from sub Grace Cunningham.

Down were through to the semi-final double-header in St Conleth’s Park Newbridge this Saturday when they will face Kerry.

Overall, it was a competent performance, but you feel that they will need to be more clinical if they are to reach next month’s final in Croke Park.

Down: C Fitzpatrick, A McDowell, D Coleman, E Fitzpatrick, C McGilligan, B Fitzpatrick capt, B Savage, D Savage, O McCusker, S Sands (1-2), SL Graffin (1-6, 0-3 fs), D Magee (0-4), S McGrath, N McGrath, E Elliott.

Subs: G Cunningham (0-1f) for E Elliott (45), A Brown and G McGrattan for E Fitzpatrick and O McCusker (50), A Murphy and K McGilligan for SL Graffin and N McGrath (57).

Meath: T Murphy, L O’Neill, C Coffey, S Payne, E Leddy, R O’Neill, L Devine capt., E Regan, A Carey (0-5, 3fs), I O’Connor (0-3), C Foley, G Connolly (0-1), M Clince, E Burke (0-1), G Coleman.

Subs: E O’Brien for G Coleman (37), A Boyle for B Kelly (46), B Kelly for M Clince (54), E Boyle for R O’Neill (57).

Referee: K Collins (Galway).