Ulster Senior Camogie Championship final
Down 1-18 Antrim 3-11
Report by Seamus Mcaleenan
Pics by John Merry.
IN MANY ways this Ulster senior final in Pearse Óg Park Armagh on Saturday followed the path of the recent Division Two National League decider between these two counties.
Antrim started well, even taking a five points’ lead into the first water-break. Then Down found their feet and kept the Saffrons from scoring until close to the second water-break, by which point they had built up a seven points’ lead.
However in the three minutes before that 2nd water-break, Antrim were back in the game with just four points between them. Then – just like the league final – the Saffrons whittled down the lead until they drew level. But again a beautiful catch from Sara Louise Graffin produced the winning point for Down.
Could Antrim have got across the line had they managed to get anything out of the middle part of the game? Could they have been any closer had Róisín McCormick (out of the team because she was named as a Covid contact) been playing? Could they have won the title had the game gone to extra-time as it really should have after Nicole O’Neill pointed to level after six minutes of added time? Indeed the Antrim management team was far from happy with a number of the refereeing decisions over the hour.
Those questions however will hang around the Antrim camp until they get into the swing of the All-Ireland Intermediate championship over the next few weeks.
Down of course will point to their recovery after that shock start from Antrim, their dominance in that middle period of the game and their ability to immediately respond to the two late Antrim goals and then to that late levelling point from O’Neill. But they will also be aware that in each of the last two games they could not kill off the Antrim challenge in the manner they had done in the All-Ireland Intermediate final last December. That in itself must hearten the Antrim set-up for the final challenge of their inter-county summer.
But what a start Antrim got!
Maeve Kelly pointed before 30 seconds had passed. After a further 30 seconds she picked up a pass from Caitrín Dobbin and lifted the Down net. The cup holders may have been shocked, but they hit back with a point from Sara Louise Graffin – again after another 30 seconds.
The Mourne county then picked up the pace, but a couple of bad wides allowed Antrim to keep in touch. Nicole O’Neill and Paula O’Hagan exchanged pointed frees before Graffin cut in from the corner to hit the net only to have the goal disallowed for too many steps.
Lucia McNaughton then got on the end of a good Antrim team move to shoot the last score before the water-break and leave it 1-4 to 0-2.
Unfortunately for the Saffrons that was their last score until the 42nd minute. They had a couple of bad wides in the second quarter, while Down hit six points in a row, all from open play to edge ahead 0-8 to 1-4 at the interval.
After the half-time break Sorcha McCartan hit a long range free, Lauren Clarke and Niamh Mallon scored a point each and then Sara Louise Graffin finished a good team passing movement by crashing home a 40th minute goal.
Caitrín Dobbin finally broke the barren run from Antrim with a point and quickly added a goal with Christine Laverty pulling clear to fire over a point. Although Anna Rogan and Niamh Mallon each pointed before the second water-break, the Saffrons had suddenly closed the gap to four points, 1-13 to 2-6.
Down re-started with Mallon and Sara Louise Graffin on target again, but a 55th minute goal from Maeve Kelly left just two between the sides.
Significantly though each time Antrim hit a score, Down were able to respond with the brilliant Niamh Mallon usually the scorer. The Portaferry ace hit five points from play during the course of the second half, each of them an excellent finish.
Her last score left a gap of four points between the teams at 1-17 to 3-7 and three minutes plus injury-time on the clock.
Antrim however threw everything at Down in the time remaining. A couple of shots dropped short with Graffin even falling back to take a fine catch on the edge of her own area.
Two frees from Nicole O’Neill were followed by a great score from Caitrín Dobbin and then the late, late free from O’Neill to level things.
But those scores still were not enough to force Down’s hand.
Catherine McGourty took a long poc-out which Sara Louise Graffin grabbed. As the Down captain turned to break clear, referee Eamon Cassidy indicated a foul on her but that he was allowing the advantage. Sara Louise drove clear and fired over from just inside the 65 metre line. Game over and Down were lifting a cup in front of disappointed Antrim players for the third time in seven months.
Down: Catherine McGourty, Blanaid Savage, Dearbhla Magee, Cáitríona Caldwell, Deirbhle Savage, Karen McMullan, Catherine Rocks, Paula O’Hagan 0-2, 1 free, Cassie Fitzpatrick 0-2, Aimee McAleenan 0-1, Sara Louise Graffin capt 1-4, Sorcha McCartan 0-1 free, Niamh Mallon 0-6, Anna Rogan 0-1, Lauren Clarke 0-1.
Subs : Aoife Keown for A McAleenan (44), Beth Fitzpatrick for C Fitzpatrick (54), Saoirse Sands for A Rogan (54), Rhea Smyth for C Rocks (57), Isabella O’Hare for S McCartan (57).
Antrim : Cáitríona Graham, Katie McKillop, Niamh Donnelly, Maria Lynn, Colleen Patterson, Caoimhe Conlon, Shauna Devlin, Emma Laverty, Amy Boyle, Maeve Kelly 2-2, Anna Connolly, Lucia McNaughton capt. 0-1, Nicole O’Neill 0-5 frees, Christine Laverty 0-1, Caitrín Dobbin 1-2.
Subs : Claire McKillop for S Devlin (21), Áine Magill for E Laverty (HT), Ciara Laverty for A Boyle (53), Niamh Anne Donnelly for M Lynn (57).
Referee : EP Cassidy (Derry)
