Report and Pics: Michael Costello

All County Camogie League Div. 2

St.Johns 1-09 Ballycastle 2-14 19th April ’18

{Referee Paul McDonnell  Rossa}

Following the frustration of last week’s league opener in Cargin being cancelled  St.Johns hosted Ballycastle in their first league  game and initially  exhibited a distinct lack of sharpness In the first half . The Johnnies line-out  looked  a lot different from last season with no Helen Mead, Una Simpson, Aileen Fox, Maédhbh Laverty ,Sarah-Jane McGuigan, or Carrie-Ann Williamson but the healthy influx of young players from the U16 ranks to replace the experienced absentees gave great encouragement  by the end of the evening as this developed into an excellent game .

Ballycastle stormed  into an early lead with the excellent  Aoife Toner taking four points in a row from play and Maria Bakewell adding a fifth before the home side could respond. Hannagh McGuigan hammered home a goal from close range to get  St. Johns  account opened and Máire Mulholland pointed soon after to throw the game wide open. Bakewell  and Tara O’Neill soon added further points  for the visitors and only good defending from the experienced Danielle Clarke-Jones, Emma McErlean  and the youthful Aideen Quinn prevented Ballycastle from  causing further damage on several occasions. Nicole Kane pointed for St.Johns following a nice passing combination with Emma McErlean but Ballycastle increased their lead before half time with a goal by Maeve Lofthouse to leave an interval score of St.Johns 1-02 Ballycastle 1-08.

The second half saw a couple of early substitutions on both sides  and a lot more intensity with the home team having much more of the play .Despite this Megan Brolly pointed first for the visitors although Mulholland soon replied for the Johnnies. A point from substitute Niamh Doherty ,followed by another Lofthouse goal  put Ballycastle in the driving seat with a nine  point lead but St.Johns pushed hard to get back into the game and with Eimhear Costello and Debbie Boyd making a series of solo runs deep into the Ballycastle defence a number of frees were inevitably awarded which resulted in four consecutive scores from placed balls for Máire Mulholland to keep the game alive. Ballycastle launched  another series of attacks following this  long period of St.Johns dominance and  two points from Bakewell and one from Lofthouse showed the firepower difference between the sides  in that Ballycastle had three  or four players capable of taking points from the 20 to 25 metre range which the St.Johns forwards couldn’t match. Mulholland for the home side and Tara O’Neill for the visitors exchanged points near the end as Ballycastle ran out worthy winners with a final score of St.Johns 1-09 Ballycastle 2-14. The game was handled  very well by Rossa referee Paul  McDonnell who allowed it to flow in a good natured  and even- handed manner.

St.Johns line-out.  B.Byrne(Capt.), A.Quinn. D.Clarke-Jones,  O.Morgan, S.Boyd, E.McErlean, L. Ferris

N.Kane, E.Costello, K.Devlin,  M. Mulholland, C. Morgan, A.Quinn, D.Boyd, H.McGuigan,

subs used-K.Connolly, C. Boyd, C. Richmond

Ballycastle line-out -D.McMichael, C.McCaughan, N.A.Donnelly (capt), O.Black, C.Kelly, O.Donnelly,

B.McCaughan, F.Toner, M.O’Neill, M.Brolly, M.Bakewell, A.Toner, C.McShane, T.O’Neill, M.Lofthouse

subs used -C.Mathers , N.Doherty.

St.Johns Scorers -H.McGuigan 1-00 N.Kane 0-01 M.Mulholland 0-08 (5f)

Ballycastle scorers -A.Toner 0-04 M.Bakewell  0-06 (2f)  T.O’Neill 0-02  M.Lofthouse 2-01

N.Doherty 0-01