Junior Feis Cup Camogie final :
Brídíní Óga Glenravel 1-4 Loughgiel 3-13
A good start is half the battle. So the saying goes and it certainly was true in this Junior Feis final on Saturday evening with defending champions Loughgiel, despite playing into the stiff breeze coming from the village end in Glenariffe, hitting 2-2 in the opening ten minutes to take control of the game.
Brídíní Óga Glenravel, playing in only their second ever final, were already on the back foot but they never gave up and battled hard until a late deflected goal from Charley McCarry confirmed Loughgiel’s dominance of the competition.
Kirsty McKendry was selected Player of the Match, but it could well have gone to a several others in the red and white; Megan McGarry was dominant between Mary mcKillen and Aoife O’Mullan in the half-back line while Ciara Dobbin got through a lot of work at midfield.
For the losers Orla Donnelly had a sound game in nets with Lianne Kerr doing well at conrer-back. Indeed their defence fought very hard, particularly against the breeze, but up front they found it very difficult to break down the tightly-knit Shamrocks defence.
Those early goals, first from Orla Laverty after three minutes and then five minutes later a hand-passed effort from Cara McIntyre, quickly settled the holders and Kirsty McKendry popped over two fine frees into the breeze to leave them 2-2 to 0-0 up after ten minutes.
Ashling Millar helped stop the rot with a solo goal for Brídíní Óga but they still trailed by 2-7 to 1-2 at the break.
Although Ciara Laverty pointed on the re-start, the Glenravel defence got to grips with the Loughgiel attack during the third quarter and only conceded a further two points. At the other end they had a couple of scoring chances, but couldn’t add to their tally until Kirsty Lavery fired over in the 49th minute by which time Loughgiel had 2-11 on the board.
The Shamrock’s late goal came from a long free from Megan McGarry that Charley McCarry deflected past Orla Donnelly with Vincent Boyle sounding the long whistle on the poc out.
Loughgiel : Eimear Boyle, Maeve Henry, Katie Lynn, Clare McKillop (capt), Aoife O’Mullan, Megan McGarry, Mary McKillen, Ciara Dobbin, Louise McKillop, Ciara Laverty 0-1, Meadhbh McCormick 0-2, Kirsty McKendry 0-5, 0-3 frees, Charley McCarry 1-4, Cara McIntyre 1-0, Orla Laverty 1-0.
Subs : Annie Lynn 0-1 for O Laverty, Katie McKillop for K Lynn, Brona McIntyre for C Laverty, Shauna McKillop for C McIntyre, Lynsey Higgins for K McKendry, Sara Anne McGarry for M Henry, Roisin Cummings for M McKillen, Colleen Connolly for C Dobbin
Brídíní Óga : Orla Donnelly, Lianne Kerr, Ellen Hynds, Clodagh McCann, Beth McAuley, Laoise McKenna, Shauna McDonnell, Brónagh Laverty, Kirsty Laverty 0-2, Victoria Edgar 0-1 free, Shauna Kelly (capt), Niamh Donnelly 0-1, Alishia McPeake, Oonagh Ward, Ashling Millar 1-0.
Subs : Ciara McCormick for Clodagh McCann
Referee : Vincent Boyle (Dunloy)
