Late Fitzpatrick point seals spot in Ulster final

Late Fitzpatrick point seals spot in Ulster final

7 May 2025

DOWN captain Clara Mulvenna admitted she was relieved when her side secured an extra-time victory against Tyrone in a pulsating Ulster Intermediate Championship semi-final.

Mulvenna went on to praise Down and Burren forward Eimear Fitzpatrick for being the most composed person in the ground, securing the win with the final kick of the game.

She said: ”Fitzy has been unbelievable for us this year, so it was fitting that she got the score to put us in the final.”

This was such a tight game between two evenly matched sides and it was nearly impossible to call a winner.

A powerful, left-footed drive from Emma Conroy opened the scoring for Tyrone, but Down quickly replied with a Fitzpatrick free. 

Errigal Ciaran forward Aoife Horisk restored Tyrone’s lead with a free of her own, before Eva Hicks levelled the scores with a sharp turn and shot that cleared the bar. 

Another Fitzpatrick free gave the Mourne Ladies the lead, but Tyrone’s Sorcha Gormley was causing their defence all sort of problems. 

The pacy Carrickmore forward beat two Down defenders and fed a ball through to Cara McCrossan, who gave goalkeeper Catherine Byrne no chance with a nice finish into the bottom corner of the net.

Down’s response was just what manager Colm Donnelly would have wanted, as Laoise Duffy nearly got a vital goal with the next attack. 

She picked the ball up in midfield, racing past several Tyrone defenders, and as the goal chance opened, she unleashed a powerful drive that just went over the bar for a point instead of a maximum.

Down continued to press and Duffy turned provider when she intercepted a Tyrone kick-out and released Fitzpatrick, who buried the ball past ‘keeper Amelia Coyle from the tightest of angles.

However, Tyrone started to regain control of the game, using the wind to good effect, and a point apiece for midfielders Meabh Mallon and Aoibhinn McHugh levelled the scoring. Niamh O’Neill had two quick scores, before Horisk converted a great score to give the Red Hand a deserved three-point lead at the break.

Down’s Niamh King got a beautiful score to start the second half, but it was quickly cancelled out when Claire Canavan cleverly fisted the ball over for Tyrone.

Fitzpatrick took a lovely point after cutting inside and onto her left foot, just before Aimee pointed from distance to cut the deficit to one.

Down got their second goal with a little bit of luck. Niamh King’s powerful shot was well blocked by Grainne McKenna and the ball fell into the path of Kilcoo’s Shanna Fettes, who reacted quickest and stroked the ball past Coyle.

Powerful forward O’Neill pulled a point back for the home side, leaving the score at 2-7 to 1-9. 

With time almost up, Down won a big free from a long way out, but the usually deadly Fitzpatrick’s shot cannoned off the upright and away.

Tyrone missed a free of their own as time was slipping away. However, they collected and Gormley was fouled as she raced though. 

Gormley got up and dusted herself off, converting the free to set up extra-time, with nothing to split the two teams during regulation time.

Down won the toss and opted to attack with the wind at their backs in the first period of extra-time.

Vivienne McCormack converted when her side intercepted a Tyrone kick-out, giving the visitors a one-point lead. 

O’ Neill was excellent throughout this match, and used her a wand of a left foot to level the for Tyrone once more.

Saul’s Catherine Byrne pulled off a great save to keep Down in the game and to the heartbreak of Tyrone, their missed chance was punished.

Fitzpatrick cleared the bar when Down overturned a sideline ball in a dangerous area seconds later, before Tyrone pushed forward and Horisk levelled the scores for the eighth time.

With time running out in the second period of extra-time, it looked as though the prospect of penalties was looming. 

As players from both sides went down with cramp, it was surprising that Down could deliver a beautiful section of play to win it. 

The ever-impressive Meghan Doherty drove forward and found Niamh Rice wide on the left. 

Rice cut inside, beating two Tyrone defenders, and looked like she was about to pull the trigger and shoot. 

However, as the Tyrone defence desperately converged to block the shot, the Rostrevor forward cooly slipped a hand pass into Fitzpatrick, who made no mistake in clipping the ball over. 

Neither side deserved to lose this match, but it was the Mourne Ladies that progress to the Ulster final.

Tyrone: Coyle, Lyons, McKenna, Quinn, Canavan, Campbell, McCarroll, Mallon, McHugh, Moore, Conroy, Horisk, McGahan, McCrossan, O’Neill, McCarroll, Mccaffrey, McNamee. 

Down: Byrne, Greene, McCreanor, McClory, Mulvenna, Brogan, Sands, Doherty, Laverty, Fitzpatrick, Duffy, Smyth, King, Rice, Hicks, McCormack, Fettes, O’Higgins, Kelly.