Junior Camogie Championship quarter-final
Loughgiel 1-4 Ahoghill 4-11
A hat-trick from Ahoghill’s prolific scorer, Noreen Graham and a personal tally of 3-2 paved the way for an emphatic victory for St. Mary’s Ahoghill over holders Loughgiel in this Antrim Junior camogie championship quarter-final at Fr. Healy Park last evening.
St Marys Ahoghill travelled to Loughiel for the Antrim Camogie Junior Quarter Final. The 5pm throw-in time clashed with the scheduled throw-in for Ahoghill footballers in their Senior Championship match taking place in Corrigan Park, so unfortunately Ahoghill’s supporters and families had to split to separate ends of the county. There was a further delay, but the match finally got underway at 5.20pm and 3 minutes in Ahoghill’s Noreen Graham, found the net to give her side the perfect start.
Caitriona Graham won the Loughgiel puck out and struck again only to send it wide but she redeemed herself from a 7th minute free making it 1-01 to 0-00 with Maura Downey returning the subsequent puck out straight back in for another point as the Cloney girls enjoyed a great staret.
Loughgiel won the breaking ball and went on the attack but Emma McGlone cleared her line, only for the home side to respond again with Shauna McKillop getting them on the scoreboard with a fine goal. Aine Graham responded immediately pointing at the other end for Ahoghill following a ball in from Maura Downey.
It was end to end stuff in the opening ten minutes as Loughgiel got a point from Sinead McAleese and Ahoghill’s Caitriona Graham replying from a free, making it 1.04 to 1.01. Loughgiel continued to push up on the visitors but Tracey Hardy cleared the sliotar to Noreen Graham who went for goal. It was saved resulting in a 45 which Caitriona Graham sent over the bar.
A foul on Noreen Graham saw Shamrocks Kathryn Kelly, get a yellow card but although nothing came of the Ahoghill free, Caitriona Graham won the ball coming out and scored a point from play.
A Loughgiel free produced nothing, and shots from Ahoghill’s Maura Downey and Noreen Graham were unsuccessful as play swung from end to end. 20 minutes in Loughgiel were awarded a penalty and Caitriona Graham was shown a Yellow card. Shauna McKillop stepped up to take the penalty but Angela Townsend pulled off a great save and although Loughgiel were in for the rebound, they sent it wide.
Soon after the No. 14 received a booking but nothing came from the Ahoghill free and a subsequent free for Loughgiel saw Carla McGarry, sprint on to the pass to score their 2nd point giving them 1.02 on the board.
Ahoghill were quick to counter-attack and Noreen Graham was on target for another goal, but Shamrock’s keeper Siobhan McAuley got a stick to it, however a pull on Noreen’s jersey saw her step up to take the free which she swiftly put between the uprights.
Further attacks from Loughgiel proved unsuccessful as defenders Mairead McCloskey and Nicola Doherty cleared their line and the home side sent a couple wide. A chop by Shauna McKillop saw Caitriona Graham take another free which she played across to Fiona Blaney but Loughgiel were sharp to intercept, however Caitriona Graham turned them over, feeding the ball to Downey, who struck it over the bar followed quickly by another from play by Catriona Graham leaving it 1.09 to 1.02 at the break for the Cloney side..
The Shamrocks came out firing on all cylinders after the break but Ahoghill keeper Angela Townsend confidently cleared the shots on target. Both side missed opportunities before Emma McGlone intercepted a Loughgiel side-line which she fed in to Maura Downey whose shot was cleared but she turned over the clearance to make sure the second time, sending over 7 minutes into the second half. The home side were creating chances but failing to convert as Ahoghill broke again with Maura Downey being denied by the Loughgiel keeper, however Caitriona Graham fed a great ball to Noreen Graham who split the posts once more.
Ahoghill’s Sinead McKenna, fought tirelessly and successfully cleared an intense Loughgiel attack, with Tracey Hardy finding Aine Graham, who placed her namesake, Noreen and she fired home her second goal. Ahoghill introduced Marion Graham for Annemarie O’Neill, this was Marion’s first game since a nasty ankle injury last year. A foul on Loughgiel’s Brona McIntyre in mid-field saw a break in play and allowed the home side to make a change, Bernadine Hegarty making way for Lauren O’Boyle, and Ahoghill bringing on Bronagh Graffin for Ciara McGuigan.
Another Loughgiel free saw Carla McGarry split the posts and at the other ends Noreen Graham looked to be in for another goal however she was denied by the home defence and at the other end Eadaoin McGarry, broke up the resulting counter attack. Carla McGarry added another point for the Shamrocks but this would be their last score of the game.
Ahoghill’s McGarry came to her side’s rescue clearing several dangerous balls and she fed the ball to Emma McGlone and she combined with Maura Downey, Aine Graham to set up Noreen Graham and the latter added the visitors’ 3rd goal.
Ahoghill‘s Nicola Doherty made way for Sub Caitlin McLaughlin as the visitors continued to empty their bench and the visitors continued to call the shots as Tracey Hardy found Marion Graham and she found Paula Gribbin, who had been earlier denied by the keeper but this time she made no mistake with a goal, bringing Ahoghills’ tally to 4-11
This was to prove the game’s final score and Visitors, Ahoghill, are through to the Semi- final next Saturday 31st, when they meet Armoy, who defeated Rasharkin 2.12 – 2.07
Ahoghill: AngelaTownsend, Nicola Doherty, Mairead McCloskey, Sinead McKenna, Emma Mcglone, Eadaoin McGarry, Tracey Hardy, Caitriona Graham (0.04), Fiona Blaney Captain, Noreen Graham( 3.02), Aine Graham ( 0.01 ), Maura Downey( 0.03 ), Annemarie O’Neill, Paula Gribbin 1.0, Ciara McGuigan, Bronagh McGuigan, Marion Graham, Fionnuala McKeever, Hannah Downey, Bronagh Graffin, Caitlin McLaughlin, Dervla Graffin, Caitlin O’Hagan
Loughgiel: Siobhan McAuley, Roisin Cummings, Denise Mcgarry, Eilish Glackin, Bernadine Hegarty, Brona McIntyre, Erin McMullen, Carla McGarry (0.03) Colleen Connelly (1.0) Louise McKeown, Sinead McAleese (0.01), Kathryn Kelly, Lynsey Higgins, Ciara McCollum, Rebecca Hargan, Lauren O’Boyle, Sarah McCloskey
