Junior Camogie Championship – Preliminary Round
Dunloy 2-13 St. Paul’s 1-06
by Paul McLean
Dunloy got the 2017 Junior Camogie Championship off and running last night with a tough 10-point win over St Paul’s. A strong second half performance from the home side was the difference between the two teams after being level at half time.
St Paul’s started much the better side and were more comfortable on the ball in the wet conditions to open up a 2-point lead. In truth, they should have been further ahead but for some bad wides and degree of fortune in the Dunloy goal mouth when a shot come point hit the post and ended up in the goal mouth. Keeper Lisa McAllister got the resultant ball cleared but it was an early scare for the home side.
Mary Martin got Dunloy level with two frees to settle the home side down before the away side grabbed a vital goal. A ball into the 21 wasn’t cleared and it was St Pauls who wanted it more in the ruck to work it into space and hammered into the net. In a game, so tight it was a big score.
However, within a minute Dunloy lifted the net themselves to level it all up again. Erin Traynor played the ball into the box where Lisa McGuckian collected and despite being crowded out hand passed to Dearbhail Magill who made no mistake in front of goal. Further frees from either side towards the end of the half levelled it all at 1-04 going into the break. The second half started much the same as the first had ended with every ball being fought for as if it was the last between the sides. Again, it was Mary Martin on the placed ball who fired Dunloy into a two-point lead. She wasn’t missing anything in a game where scores where hard to come by. A goal was going to be massive for either side and it was Dunloy who grabbed it. A shot by Lisa McGuckian just dropping under the bar was well saved by the St Pauls keeper but the resultant ball popped up into the box where Dearbhaill Magill wanted it more than the keeper and full back to slap the ball into the net. The home sides fitness in the heavy ground was starting to show as they were moving the ball around much more into the corners and down the wings. Erin Traynor, starting her first game at Championship level, fired over her first point before again clipping over a superb score from near the side line. St Pauls managed a free to get their first score on the board but in truth the Dunloy back line wasn’t giving them any change whatsoever and any chances they did have was well controlled. Erin Traynor and Lisa McGuckian closed out the scoring for Dunloy with two well taken scores. St Pauls got a final score but the game was well over at this point.
A strong second half performance from Dunloy was the difference in this game that gained them the win. The entire defence was solid right throughout the game only conceding 1-01 from play that gave the forwards the platform to get the scores up front. Up front young Erin Traynor had a superb game, full of running and wanting to work for the team. 0-03 was a just reward for her nights work. She was well supported by Dearbhaill Magill, Mary Martin and Lisa McGuckian.
Dunloy Scorers – Mary Martin 0-07, Dearbhaill Magill 2-00, Erin Traynor 0-03, Dearbhaill Elliott 0-02, Lisa McGuckian 0-01
Dunloy team
L McAllister, S O’Mullan, C McGuckian, F Hills, N Martin, J Rush, C Quinn, L McConville, D Elliott,
C Maybin, M Martin, O O’Neill, L McGuckian, D Magill, E Traynor
St Paul’s Scorers – Mary Devine 1-00, Brona Reilly 0-03, Mairead McKiernan 0-01
St. Paul’s team
C McKelvey, S Murphy, A Barr, J Adeymi, L Coleman, C Gault, H Healy, N McArevey, L Murray, N McGuigan, M McKiernan, G Reilly, M Devine, B Reilly, C Broderick
Referee – Margret O’Connell