Tara Needham breaks Cavan hearts and sends Mayo to All-Ireland quarter-finals

Mayo's Tara Needham celebrates after scoring the winning point

All-Ireland Ladies SFC  

Mayo 0-16 

Cavan 2-9 

Tara Needham’s last-ditch point earned Mayo victory over Cavan - and a place in the quarter-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

It was heartbreaking on Breffni women who had trailed by eight points at the start of the second half in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park. They had levelled minutes from time through the superb Aisling Gilsenan but Needham undid the hardwork with the clinching score.

Mayo had the opening point from Shauna Howley in the second minute. Sinéad Greene got up in the eighth minute to score Cavan’s first point to close the gap to one, before Mayo replied with three in a row.

The gap was two, in the 22nd minute, when Gilsenan hit over a fine point. But points from Sinead Walsh, Needham, Sarah Mulvihill and an excellent effort from Lisa Cafferky saw Mayo extend their lead to six in the 27th minute. Lauren McVeety converted a free for Cavan but a fisted effort from Lisa Cafferky just before half-time restored the Connacht side's six-point advantage.

The lead was out eight in the 34th minute when Lisa Cafferky kicked over a free but within six minutes Cavan were back in the game. McVeety scored, then Gilsenan added a terrific point and one minute later set up Ally Cahill for a super goal.

Mulvihill got a much-needed point for Mayo before Cavan grabbed their second goal; Gilsenan and Cahill combining again, with Cahill firing low to the net. Three minutes later Gilsenan landed the equaliser. A Lisa Cafferky free edged Mayo back in front but Gilsenan drew her side level again. However, right at the end Needham scored to give Mayo a narrow win.

Scorers for Mayo: L Cafferky 0-5 (2f), S Howley 0-4 (2f), T Needham 0-2 (1f), S Walsh 0-2, S Mulvhill 0-2, T O’Connor 0-1. Cavan: A Gilsenan 0-5 (1f), A Cahill 2-0, L McVeety 0-3 (2f), S Greene 0-1.

MAYO: A Tarpey; É Ronayne, D Caldwell, S Lally; C Needham, F McHale, K Sullivan; S Cafferky, T O’Connor; A Geraghty, S Walsh, S Mulvihill; L Cafferky, T Needham, S Howley.

Subs: N McVann for ERonayne (5), R Flynn for Lally (10), S El Massry for McVann (30), C Whyte for O’Connor (56).

CAVAN: E Walsh; K McIntyre, S Lynch, E Longair; S Greene, L Fitzpatrick, M Sheridan; N Byrd, A Deneher; N Keenaghan, L McVeety, A Walls; A Cahill, G Sheridan, A Gilsenan.

Subs: M Smith for McIntyre (38), K McCormack for Fitzpatrick (42), C McCaffrey for Walls and A Reilly for G Sheridan (56).

Ref: Siobhan Coyle (Donegal).