Nugent says camogs on right track

Nugent says camogs on right track

19 February 2025

DOWN may have lost their opening round game in the Very National League in Clonduff on Saturday, but new team manager Domhnall Nugent was happy enough with the overall performance.

“I am not interested in comparing us with teams that went before or with other teams in our league, or talking about must-win games,” he said afterwards.

“We are on our own journey. This is a new panel of players. Some have been there all along, others are back in after a spell out and some others are there for the first time. It’s going to take time to build foundations here. And we have got time.

“We just have to keep doing the best we can for ourselves. We have been working hard in training on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I will be pleased if we can bring that work into games on Saturdays.

“We will all make mistakes along the way, but we want to be learning from our training and games and getting a performance in the games. Today we are happy enough we got the performance, if not the result. That’s all we asked of the girls.”

Down lost three of their most experienced players around half time. Saoirse Sands and Ciara Fitzsimons picked up injuries and didn’t appear for the second half, while Dearbhla Magee had been suffering from a bug and went off five minutes into the second half.

It left the Mourne team a little short on fire-power against a more experienced Limerick side for whom Sophie O’Callaghan and Caoimhe Costelloe impressed.

Aimee McAleenan accounted for all six Down points, each one coming from a free. Her first gave Down a foothold in the game and they kept Limerick scoreless until Laura Southern responded in the 12th minute. McAleenan scored three more frees before the break.

By contrast six different players were on the mark for Limerick with free-taker Caoimhe Costelloe pointing twice to put them ahead by 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time.

Costelloe pointed twice again on the restart with a fifth point from McAleenan in reply before Donna Kenny goaled in the 42nd minute for the visitors.

Niamh Savage provided an excellent response five minutes later with a much-needed goal.

However the visitors finished strongly with points from Southern, Costelloe (two) and Lizanne Boylan to claim victory.

Down’s next match is this Saturday when they travel to Westmeath who suffered a 3-14 to 0-4 loss to a rampant Clare team.

Down scorers: N Savage (1-0), A McAleenan (0-6, frees).

Limerick : D Kenny (1-1), C Costelloe (0-6, frees), L Southern, L Boylan (0-2 each), E O’Hara and M Flynn (0-1 each).

Down: Cassie Fitzpatrick, Niamh Savage, Aislínn Brown, Aoife McDowell, Dearbhla Magee, Beth Fitzpatrick, Blánaid Savage, Dearbhla Coleman, Saoirse Sands, Aimee McAleenan, Deirbhile Savage, Ciara Fitzsimons,Sophie McGrath, Tara Monan, Aoife Murphy.

Subs: Gerra McGrattan for C Fitzsimons (ht), Grace Cunningham for S Sands (ht), Orlaith McCusker for A Murphy (ht), Emily Fitzpatrick for D Magee (35), Shanna Fettes for A Brown (35).

Limerick: Sarah Gillane, Áine Foley, Muireann Creamer, Stephanie Woulfe, Ciara O’Riordan, Sophie O’Callaghan, Emily O’Halloran, Máiréad Flynn, Ailbhe Larkin, Caoimhe Costelloe capt, Lizanne Boylan, Donna Kenny, Orlaith Kelleher, Laura Southern, Derbhla Egan.