All-Ireland Minor B Camogie Championship semi-final

Antrim 5-8 Carlow 1-5

By Seamus McAleenan

THREE second half goals from corner-forward Charley McCarry turned this All-Ireland minor semi-final in Inniskeen on Saturday afternoon emphatically in favour of holders Antrim after a nervous opening half.

Challengers Carlow really put it up to a sluggish Saffron challenge during the opening half and the teams turned over at 1-4 each. Indeed at that point it looked like advantage Carlow as the south Leinster side seemed to be wind-assisted for the second half.

However Antrim were much improved on the re-start and dictated the play, while their defence superbly controlled by Eilis Kearns and Ellen Hynds in the central positions kept Carlow scoreless from open play.

With Amy Boyle and Maeve Kelly taking control of midfield and Dearbhail Magill fall back behind the midfielder they were a different unit in the second

Carlow opened the scoring and went three points up all from open play (two from Ciara Kavannagh and the other from Tish Murphy) before Antrim found their feet with a free from Roisin McCormick in the 11th minute.

A few minutes later Antrim had a bit of good fortune when a McCormick free from distance deceived the Carlow keeper Laura Bermingham, who had minutes earlier pulled off a brilliant save from Charley McCarry, but this time the ball dropped just under the crossbar in into the net. Anna Connolly and Ciara Laverty fired over points and Antrim appeared to have weathered the early storm, but Carlow came back as the accurate Kavanagh pulled one back from a free and the Leinster girls were soon level when the dangerous Eve Lawler grabbed her team’s goal.

There was concern at half time among the Antrim fans but the young Saffrons came out transformed in the second half. The got the boost they were looking for  goal three minutes after the re-start and McCarry grabbed the first of her thee second half goals and Antrim were back on track.

Ciara Laverty reacted really well to pick up a breaking ball around the Carlow square to grab her team’s third goal in the 39th minute, befofe McCormick, whose influence on the game was growing by the minute, majors iced with points from Roisin McCormick sent over a point.

Then McCarry buried a 44th minute strike to take her side clear at 4-6 to 1-5 and the half-time worries disappeared and when she completed her hat-trick close to the final whistle the Saffrons had safely booked their place in next week’s All Ireland final against Westmeath.

Incidentally all the Saffron scores came from Loughgiel players who four years ago won Ulster’s first ever All-Ireland Féile Division 1 title.

Antrim : Aine Graham, Caitie McCaughan, Eilis Kearns, Emma Louise McAreavey, Méabh O’Neill, Ellen Hynds capt., Fionnuala Toner, Amy Boyle, Maeve Kelly, Roisin McCormick, 1-6, 0-2 frees, Dearbhla Magill, Anna Connolly 0-1, Charley McCarry 3-0, Carla McGarry, Ciara Laverty 1-1.

Subs : Shannon Darragh for C McGarry (51), Eimear Matthews for F Toner (54), Eva Cafola for C Laverty (56)

Carlow : L Bermingham, R Bolger, A Nolan, E Murphy, K Collins, L Nolan, T Bermingham, A Behan, E Byrne, E Sinnott, A Cushen, E Lawler 1-0, C Kavanagh 0-4, 0-2 frees, T Murphy 0-1, E Doyle

Referee – Philip McDonald (Cavan)

Pics by John McIlwaine