Smyth bags four goals as Fermanagh hammer London

Fermanagh 8-17 London 1-03 

While Fermanagh Ladies could have been forgiven for taking their foot off the pedal with a place in the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship semi-final, it was not to be the case as they hammered London last Sunday.

It followed a battling win over Derry the Wednesday before and the 8-17 to 1-03 victory over London will have pleased boss CJ McGourty as it showed a ruthlessness from his charges that could bode well coming into their last four game.

Fermanagh were already guaranteed top spot in their group following their win over Derry but they did not hold back against the Exiles.

They kept London scoreless in the opening half of football while they went on to his 5-10.

Danielle McBrien opened the scoring and this was followed by points from Bláithín Bogue, and Joanne Doonan before sharpshooter Eimear Smyth found the net.

Smyth, McBrien and her sister Lisa Maguire then fired over further points before Smyth rattled the net again to make it 2-06 to no score with 12 minutes played.

Bogue hit her second point of the game before another Smyth found the net, this time Bronagh and three minutes later, Maguire made it 4-07 to no score with a goal after London’s goalkeeper Sally Farrell made a good initial save.

Both Smyths and another from McBrien kept the scoreboard ticking along before Niamh McManus hit the Erne Ladies fifth goal of the half a minute before the break.

Within a minute of the restart, Maguire had her second goal of the game as Fermanagh kept their ruthlessness up before London finally got on the scoresheet with a free from Lillian Sheey.

With 40 minutes played, Eimear Smyth bagged her hattrick but London would respond with a goal from Dearbhla Snow before Doonan added another point for Fermanagh.

With the scoring rate dropping Fermanagh had scores from another Bogue point and two points from Eimear Smyth either side of a London score.

Sheehy would make it 1-03 for London with five minutes to go but Fermanagh finished off the scoring as Smyth grabbed a fourth goal and two more points alongside a score from McManus to bring to an end the most facile of victories.