Fire Stop & Seal Antrim Senior Camogie Championship
Loughgiel (holders) 6-29 Portglenone 0-7
By John McIlwaine
It was one way traffic for a totally dominant Loughgiel side as the holders got the new campaign off to the dominant start with a runaway win over Geraldine’s Portglenone in Tuesday evening’s quarter final in Randalstown. With Katie McAleese leading the charge for the challengers the Portglenone girls stayed in touch for the first ten minute at which time they trailed by 0-5 to 0-3. However when Loughgiel got their first goal through Ashline McFadden there was simply no stopping the champions. They added a further 2-10 between then and the half-time whistle at which stage the lead was out to 3-15 to 0-4. A McAleese point from a free and one from play by Niamh McKee early in the second half briefly lifted Portglenone spirits, but they would add just one more point for the remainder of the game while the Shamrocks scored another 3-14 to book a semi-final spot against Dunloy.
Rachael Murphy and Ciara Boyle got Loughgiel’s opening scores before Katie McAleese opened the Geraldines account with a pointed free from the half way line. Murphy, Caitrin Dobbin and Christine Laverty pulled the winners 5-1 ahead after eight minute but McAleese came back with two more points from frees to leave her team trailing by just two points. Unfortuantely that was as close as they would get and two goals inside a minute from Ashline McFadden and Caitrin Dobbin was followed by a run of eight points without reply. Katie McAleese broke the sequence with her fourth point of the halt, this time from a 45 but points from Ashline McFadden and Rachael Murphy were followed by a Roisin McCormick goal which gave the champions a 3-15 to 0-4 half time lead.
Katie McAleese who scored six for her team’s seven points.
The Portglenone girls made a promising start to the second half as McAleese added another point from a free and corner forward Niamh McKee grabbed one from play, but that was as good as it got. Loughgiel soon got back into their stride and seven points on the spin were followed by a Roisin McCormick goal on 39 minutes. McCormick added another four points in magical three minute spell before Caitrin Dobbin grabbed her team’s fifth goal in the 46th minute. Dobbin and McCormick ran the Geraldine’s ragged as they hit two more points apiece before a strong run in from the right wing by Dobbin put McCormick in to complete her hat-trick.
Katie McAleese, who gave her all for the Portglenone cause, got her sixth point of the game on 56 minutes before Christine Laverty ended the scoring for the evening with a Loughgiel point from play.
Loughgiel scorers: Roisin McCormick (3-7), Caitrin Dobbin (2-4), Aisling McFadden (1-4), Racquel Murphy (0-6, 0-4 frees), Lucia McNaughton (0-3), Christine Laverty (0-3), Ciara Boyle 0-2, Emma McFadden (0-1)
Portglenone scorers: Katie McAleese (0-6 frees), Niamh McKee (0-1)
LOUGHGIEL SHAMROCKS
Megan Coyle, Charlene Campbell, Laura Connolly, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Maeve Connolly, Amy Boyle, Emma McFadden, Ciara Boyle, Roisin McCormick, Lucia McNaughton, Christine Laverty, Caitrin Dobbin, Rachael Murphy, Ashling McFadden.
Subs Chloe Higgins for Christine Laverty (bloods sub, first half); Chloe Higgins for Ashling McFadden (second half)
GERALDINE’S PORTGLENONE
Patricia McCarry, Teresa Quinn, Christine O’Kane, Aine Mulholland, Maria McLarnon, Eimear Doherty, Laura McAleese, Eimear McKee, Niamh Doherty, Roisin Kelly, Katie McAleese, Jane McAleese, Niamh McKee Jane Carey Una Doherty
Subs used – Anna Kearney, Siobhan Doherty, Kathryn Bradley, Aine Byrne, Shannon Darragh, Nuala Kelly
Pics by John McIlwaine