Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship quarter-final
Down 2-13 Meath 0-10
SARA Louise Graffin rolled back the years to steer Down into the All-Ireland intermediate semi-finals on Saturday.
The Clonduff veteran, and mother of two, scored four first-half points and was involved in both goals during the second half as the Mourne county advanced to a place in the Newbridge double-header next Saturday.
There they will face Kerry, exactly four weeks after the Kingdom beat them in Liatroim Fontenoys by 0-13 to 0-11, with the winning points scored in added time.
Her leadership was vital as Meath put up a challenge to Down during periods of the match that Down led from start to finish.
Another star was Graffin’s Clonduff club-mate Cassie Fitzpatrick, who made two good saves in each half and also saved a penalty in the 13th minute after Down had taken a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.
At the other end of the pitch, Dearbhla Magee scored three points in the first half and one in the second, while also tracking back through midfield and beyond to win possession and create attacking opportunities.
Down started the game nervously and conceded four wides in the first 10 minutes, one of which was a goal chance for Niamh McGrath in the sixth minute. Saoirse Sands scored the opening point, the only score until the eighth minute. Then Dearbhla Magee and Sara Louise Graffin each added two points, with a point from Isabel O'Connor in reply.
Down responded to Fitzpatrick’s penalty save with two further points, one each from Magee and Graffin, leaving them in a healthy position with 20 minutes played. However, they then struggled as the game was interrupted several times due to injuries. Graffin scored another point in the 30th minute, but Meath replied with scores during added time.
Visitors to Clonduff Park narrowed the gap further with a point from Ellen Burke on the restart, but Down then scored three unanswered points through Graffin (free), Magee, and Sands.
Although Meath pulled two of those back, Graffin responded with a 43rd-minute pointed free and then, within 40 seconds, found Saoirse Sands for the opening goal.
Six minutes later Sands returned the favor for Graffin to put Down 2-12 to 0-7 ahead and in the home straight.
As they did in their final group game in Loughgiel a fortnight ago, Meath kept working away and were rewarded with three late points from Aoife Carey – but they came too late to make any impact on the scoreboard.
The other semi-final this coming weekend will feature Antrim and Offaly. The Faithful saw off Carlow 3-18 to 2-9 in Tullamore on Saturday.
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 (0-3f), 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 (0-3f), 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)
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