BY RYAN FERRY

CLARE Friel struck a dramatic late winning goal as Gaeil Fhánada got the better of Ardara in the Intermediate Ladies Final at a drenched Lifford on Sunday.

Friel is best known as the Donegal senior ladies goalkeeper but she came on in the attack for Fanad on Sunday and landed the crucial score at the end of extra-time.

There was little to separate the sides throughout a hard-fought battle but Fanad won the arm wrestle to seal their first ever Intermediate title.

It was Shane Keaveney’s Fanad team who opened the scoring through Lauren Carr in the fourth minute.

Ardara eventually settled and Caoimhe Gallagher and Sarah Harkin posted scores.

Fanad were intent on stopping county star Mia Bennett and while Rosheen McGinley saved her shot in the 11th minute, Harkin was in the right place to finish to the net from close range.

The heavens opened then and the heavy rain made life tricky for both teams.

However one player who was really in the mood was Lauren Carr and she posted three points from play for Gaeil Fhánada.

Ardara had the breeze supporting them but they missed a host of chances late in the half.

Jessica Gallagher had a good goal chance that McGinley saved.

Carr had the final say of the first half and the sides were all square at the break.

Hannah Shiels nudged Fanad ahead in the 32nd minute with a free.

However, they struggled to build on that.

Caoimhe Gallagher drilled an equaliser over for Ardara and the tension started to build after that.

Caoimhe Walsh and Mia Bennett swapped points but neither side could find a score to take the lead.

Walsh and Caoimhe Gallagher were both sin-binned and Bennett looked set to win the tie but good Fanad defending sent the match to extra-time.

The additional twenty minutes were disrupted as Fanad full-back Michelle Doherty got injured and had to be stretchered off.

Jessica Gallagher from Ardara scored the only point in the first half of extra-time.

Lauren Carr and Caoimhe Gallagher swapped points and Fanad corner-back Victoria Gallagher made a wonderful tackle to prevent Iona McHugh from scoring a major.

Bennett was then yellow-carded as frustration got the better of her and it was Lauren Carr, who tied matters up again in the 79th minute.

It looked like free-kicks would be needed to decide the match but Gaeil Fhánada had other ideas and Carr and Iseult Ni Mhathuna combined to set up Friel.

She could have went for the point but showed wonderful composure to go around Emily Whittington and blast home the winning goal.

Teams

Ardara: Emily Withington; Erin McConnell, Holly Gallagher, Kayla McHugh; Caoimhe Early, Reiltin Doherty, Megan McConnell; Niamh Boyle, Rionach Doherty; Caoimhe Gallagher (0-3), Molly Gallagher, Jade Gallagher; Jessica Gallagher (0-1), Mia Bennett (0-1), Sarah Harkin (1-1). Subs: Iona McHugh for M.Gallagher (43 mins), Kacey Mooney for C.Gallagher (60 mins), Caoimhe Gallagher for J.Gallagher (72 mins), Roisin Maguire for Realtin Doherty (77 mins).

Gaeil Fhanada: Rosheen McGinley; Victoria Gallagher, Michelle Doherty, Shauna Howe; Margaret Friel, Aoife Gibbons, Eimear Sweeney; Iseult Ni Mhathuna, Rachel Sweeney; Lauren Carr (0-7,1f) Eimear Gibbons, Caoimhe Barrett; Caoimhe Walsh (0-1), Hannah Shiels (0-1,1f), Siobhan Sweeney. Subs: Mairead Coll for Walsh (60 mins), Caoimhe Walsh and Niamh McDevitt for Doherty and Friel (67 mins), Clare Friel (1-0) for Shiels (73 mins), Meabh McAteer for Howe (76 mins).

Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs)