Doherty Woodshavings Junior Camogie Championship final

Dunloy 2-7 Loughgiel 0-5

By John McIlwaine

Last season’s beaten finalists Dunloy won the Junior Camogie Championship when they beat old rivals Loughgiel in Wednesday night’s final which was played under lights at Ahoghill. The Dunloy girls led from early in the game and though they were four points to the good at half-time it appeared that the game could still go either way. However the Cuchullains really got the upper hand in a dominant  second-half as they added five point while conceding just one to run out convincing winners in the end.

After a competitive opening where both teams squandered chances Dunloy eventually opened the scoring on seven minutes when Derbhail Elliott put them ahead with a point and two minutes later they struck a decisive blow when what appeared to be a shot for a point by corner forward Lisa McGuckian dipped just below the bar and into the net. Loughgiel were rocked back on their heels but they fought back well and two points from Meadhbh McCormick and one from midfielder Sinead McAleese brought them back to within a point. However Dunloy finished the half strongly and when Caoimhe Quinn raced through to hand pass the ball to the back of the Loughgiel net they were back in control. Team captain Lynsey Higgins pulled a point back for the Shamrocks but a late Orlagh O’Neill point put Dunloy ahead by double scores (2-2 to 0-4) at the short whistle.

A four point deficit certainly didn’t seem too big a gap for Loughgiel to claw back as the second-half resumed, but it was Dunloy who struck the early blow when Orlagh O’Neill, who was to be the dominant figure of the second-half pointed from play in the second minute. O’Neill added to her team’s total with a point from a free on 39 minutes. Meadhbh McCormick kept Loughgiel in touch with a point from a free in the 43^rd minute but that was to be the only score of the second-half for the Shamrocks as Dunloy got the upper hand again. As the game wore on it was clear Dunloy were the team in control and three more points from Orlagh O’Neill, two from frees and one from a 45 saw them clinch the title

Dunloy
1 – Liza McAllister
2 – Lisa McConville
3 – Jessica Rush
4 – Siofra O’Mullan
5 – Fiona Hills
6 – Sorcha Conlan
7 – Noelle Martin
8 – Claire Mc Guckian
9 – Eilis Kearns
10 – Caoimhe Quinn 1-0
11 – Dearbhail Magill
12 – Orlagh O’Neill 1-6
13 – Lisa Mc Guckian
14 – Derbhail Elliot 0-1
15 – Erin Traynor

Loughgiel
1 – Denise McGarry
2 – Shauna Mckillop
3 – Sarah-Anne McGarry
4- Rebecca Hargan
5 – Megan McGarry
6 – Brona McIntyre
7 – Claire McKeown
8 – Sinead McAleese 0-1
9 – Laura Cassley
10 – Cara McIntyre
11 – Meadhbh McCormick 0-3
12 – Carla McGarry
13 – Catherine McCormick 0-1
14 – Lynsey Higgins (0-1)
15 – Sarah McCloskey

Referee – Harry Graham (Ahoghill)

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