Beaten Antrim fell well short, admits O’Kane

ANTRIM manager Sean O’Kane admitted his side lost to the better team after Kate Flood inspired Louth in the TG4 All-Ireland JFC semi-final at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones.

The Saffrons suffered a major setback after the resumption when injury forced off captain Saoirse Tennyson before Flood got her first goal for Louth.

Antrim looked set for a late lifeline when they were awarded a penalty in the 49th minute but Una Pearson was equal to Orla Corr’s strike and then a goal from Lauren Boyle at the opposite end put the tie beyond doubt before Flood got her second goal.

It means that Louth are in the Junior final for the second year in a row, where they will face 2017 champions Fermanagh.

“The scoreline is a true reflection on the day,” admitted O’Kane. “They were better in all departments. They were quicker, fitter and we had gone down badly in the last four or five weeks in a lot of things. It was on the cards, so it’s not a shock.

“We’ve a lot of people we lost to injury, including our whole full-forward line, and we’d girls who just didn’t play well.” Antrim: A McCann; S Haughey, E Kelly, N Killen; M Hanna, C Brown, K Farren; S Tennyson, A McFarland; L Dahunsi 1-1, O Corr, N Enright; C Carey 0-3, 2f, E Magee, Á Tubridy 0-1. Subs: C Stewart for Tennyson (32), M McGourty for Enright (49), C Taggart for Farren (50), A Taggart for Corr (52), N Webb for McFarland (54).

Louth: U Pearson; E Hand, S Quinn, S McLoughlin; C Nolan, M McMahon 0-1, A Breen; E Byrne 0-1, A Byrne; R Carr 0-3,

1f, S Byrne 0-1, A Russell; J McGuinness, K Flood 2-6, 5f, N Rice 0-2. Subs: D Osborne for Russell (h-t), L Boyle 1-1, for McGuinness (39), S Woods for A Byrne (43), A Halligan for Breen, S Matthews for Hand (both 55).

Referee: Siobhan Coyle (Donegal).