Feis na nGleann 2019 – Under 16 A Camogie final
Ballycastle 3-16 Dunloy 2-13
Finals weekend at Feis na nGleann got off to a great start when Ballycastle beat Dunloy in a thrilling Under 16 final on Friday evening. Two very good teams went head to head in a game that ebbed and flowed, one way then the other with great individual battles, none moreso than the one between Ballycastle full back Faye McIntosh and Dunloy full forward Cassie McArthur which brought out the best in both of them.
Nine minutes into the second half Dunloy appeared to be in a strong position when they turned a one point half time deficit into a four point lead and with the wind at their backs the smart money would have been on them pushing on to victory. However Ballycastle’s Riana McBride took the game by the scruff of the neck as she led the charge as they scored 2-6 without reply to turn the game on its head and though Dunloy hit back with two late points it was too late to effect the outcome.
With Aine Magill in brilliant form at midfield Dunloy started strongly and two Magill points put her team ahead. Nuala Devlin and Riana McBride sent over points to tie the scores but Magill edged her team back ahead with her third point of the game. McBride responded with two of her own, one from a free and one from play but the see-saw nature of the game continued as points from Eimear Johnston and Cassie McArthur restored Dunloy’s advantage.
McBride and Devlin again got Ballycastle’s noses in front but Dunloy hit back with three on the trot from Aine Magill and Cassie McArthur (2) to take a two point lead by the 20th minute. McBride then soloed through for the first goal of the game on 21 minutes but the Ballycastle cheers had no sooner died down than Cassie McArthur had the ball in the net at the other end, and it took two more McBride points and one from Erin McFetridge to give Ballycastle a one point lead at the break.
With wind advantage in the second half Dunloy were level inside two minute as Aine Magill hit another top class point and two minutes later things got even better for the Cuchullains when Cassie McArthur weaved her way through for a great individual goal. When Magill added another point in the 36th minute Dunloy appeared to be taking a grip on the game and even after McBride opened the Ballycastle scoring in the 38th minute Dunloy found an instant response through Eimear Johnson.
Ballycastle needed a lift and it came as McBride burst into life. She started the comeback on 41 minutes when she pointed a 45 after Dunloy goalkeeper Emily O’Neill had made a brilliant save to deny Nuala Devlin. O’Neill then denied McBride a goal with another top class stop. However Ballycatle were getting on top throughout the field and when Caoimhe O’Hara blocked a long delivery by McBride across the ‘square’ Nuala Devlin pounced to fire the ball home.
That brought things level with ten minutes still to play but Player of the Match McBride hit three on the trot to put her team on top on the scoreboard. Two minutes later the lead was out to six when Caoimhe O’Hara grabbed her team’s third goal before Nuala Devlin and McBride stretched it to eight with just three minutes of normal time left to play.
Dunloy showed great fighting spirit to battle back to six with points from Aine Magill and Kyra Doherty but time was running out and Ballycastle held on to seal the victory.
BALLYCASTLE: Shannagh Heggarty, Charly McQuillan, Faye McIntosh, Christina Hamilton, Noele McAuley, Erin Kyle, Orla McIlroy, Sianeese Maybin, Ellen McIntosh, Janey McIntosh, Riana McBride, Nuala Devlin, Erin McFetridge, Lauren McBride, Kaci-Lee Hunter.
Subs Eva Graham for Hunter; Caoimhe O’Hara for Lauren McBride.
DUNLOY: Emily O’Neill, Jayne O’Boyle, Brid Magill, Orla McMullan, Clannaid O’Kane, Katie Molloy, Shannon Ferris, Aine Magill, Eimear Johnston, Blaithin O’Kane, Kyra Doherty, Caitlin Cochrane, Ellen Kearns, Cassie McArthur, Ciarra Carey.
Referee – Francis Traynor (Loughgiel)
