Clodagh Poyntz was the hero for Cappagh as she held her nerve to convert three consecutive free kicks in the closing minutes to draw her side level, adding to a polished performance by the attacker who scored 1-3 of her sides total.
Cappagh opened in blistering fashion with midfielder Donna Donnelly firing over early on, but they were unable to build on their good start as Ardboe hit back with a score of their own, as Lisa Mallaghan got on the end of a long ball to flick over the head of the advancing goalkeeper. The loughshore side stretched their lead as Karen Quinn converted a free kick, all this inside the opening six minutes.
Cappagh midfielder Tracey Wallace’s free kick from 45m deceived everyone, including Ardboe goalkeeper Sinead Mc Vey, as the ball found the back of the net for a Cappagh goal.
With ten minutes played, Poyntz seared through the Ardboe defence before rifling the ball to the back of the net to put her side firmly in control. Indeed, Cappagh could have had the game wrapped up by half time, but a string of inspirational saves from Mc Vey kept her side in the hunt. Catherine Sweeney and Stephanie Mc Ginn pointed to extend Cappagh’s lead to 2-3 to 1-1 at the break.
The sin binning of Cappagh full back Stephanie Patterson at the start of the second half was to have a huge bearing on the tie, as Maeve Wylie found the Cappagh net in her absence to drag her side back into the tie. Lisa Mallaghan pointed before Caoimhe Coney also found her range to level the scores.
Cappagh continued to create, and miss, chances as the half progressed, and with six minutes to play Emma Campbell found the net for Ardboe to give her side a three-point advantage.
Then came those three crucial scores from Poyntz between the 27th and 34th minutes of the second half to earn her side a replay, which will take place this Saturday evening in Dungannon.

Teams and Scorers

Ardboe: Sinead Mc Vey, Christine Devlin, Claire Muldoon, Marian O’Hagan, Brigin Mc Gurk, Claire Lynn, Britta Quinn, Karen Quinn (0-1), Caoimhe Coney (0-1), Mairead Quinn, Maeve Wylie (1-0), Rachel Mc Conville, Lisa Mallaghan (1-1), Kerry Graham, Emma Campbell (1-0)

Cappagh:Karen Donaghy, Cora Travers, Stephanie Patterson, Laura Mc Cann, Jenny Quinn, Anna Nugent, Emma Daly, Tracy Wallace (1-0), Donna Donnelly (0-1), Catherine Sweeney (0-1), Clodagh Poyntz (1-3), Naomi Mc Annulla, Joanne Mc Aleer, Stephanie Mc Ginn (0-1), Michelle Sweeney