Galway senior ladies bowed out of the All Ireland series when they were defeated by Monaghan 0 - 17 to 1- 13 in Saturday’s quarter-final at Ballymahon by a single point.
The Connacht champions missed a last-minute penalty to win the game as goalkeeper Linda Martin pulled off two super late saves.
Monaghan started well and by the ninth minute had scored three points to Galway’s one - a free by Una Carroll - as Galway struggled in the cross-field wind.
Monaghan could have been further in front but for some poor shooting in front of goal as Ciara McAnespie, Edel Byrne, and Niamh Kindlon continually troubled their Galway counterparts, helping Monaghan into a 0 -9 to 0 - 4 half-time lead.
However Galway recovered well and staged a resurgence. By the 15th minue they had scored 1-2 from play with Una Carroll scoring the goal. Carroll took her shot well from the Galway dugout area and it dropped in over the Monaghan keeper’s head after 36 minutes.
This was not to deter the Monaghan team who kept tagging on the points. Galway upped the ante with points from Edel Concannon, Anne Marie Mc Donagh, Lorna Joyce, and Ger Connelly, ensuring Galway were level at 1-11 to 0-14 with 10 minutes remaining. However Monaghan’s goalscoring ace Kindlon opened up a three point lead as Niamh Duggan came on for Una Carroll and made an immediate impact, scoring a point. Minutes later Duggan was fouled in the square, and Galway, two points down, had their chance to steal the match. However Duggan’s shot was superbly saved by Linda Martin in the Monaghan goal.
Galway got another chance when lion-hearted Edel Concannon was on the end of a move, but her shot sailed over the bar - thus ensuring last year’s beaten finalists join Mayo in the semi-finals.
