Tesco All-Ireland Schools’ camogie Senior semi-finals
Cashel CS (Tipperary) 0-9 Cross & Passion Ballycastle (Antrim) 0-8
CROSS and Passion would have been happy enough to be turning around with a deficit of 0-7 to 0-2 to gain the advantage of the wind on their backs in the second half in Leahy Park, Cashel on Saturday.
However they found the close marking of the local team’s defence too much and could not break through for enough scores to reach their third senior final since 2018.
Playing Orlagh Laverty as a sweeper in the opening half worked a treat and the Loughgiel All-Ireland minor medallist was superb. After ten minutes the teams were at 0-1 each and by the 25th minute Cashel had managed to move into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead.
However they put on a spurt in the final few minutes with points from Ellen Browne (2) and free-taker Lisa O’Connor while Cassie McArthur pointed a late free in reply.
Although Bronach Magill opened the second half scoring, there was then a dispute over a free from Orlagh Laverty. Eventually the referee ruled the sliotar hadn’t split the sticks and, given the gap at the end, that was perhaps a game-defining moment.
Nevertheless two points from McArthur, the first a free, closed the gap to 0-7 to 0-5 after 50 minutes. Then Cashel broke and captain Grace Maloney grabbed a point, followed by a free for Lisa O’Connor.
That broke Ballycastle’s momentum. Orlagh Laverty added a point from a long free, Cassie McArthur scored another from shorter distance and there were a couple of good scoring chances either side of Fionnuala Kelly’s final score for CPC. However it just wasn’t to be for the Ulster champions.
Cross & Passion: Caitie Connolly, E Graham, Bríd Magill capt, N McAuley, E McIntosh, F McIntosh, Brónach Magill 0-1, F Kelly 0-2 (1f), O Laverty 0-1 (f), J McIntosh 0-1, A Donnelly, Ciara Connolly, C McArthur 0-4 (3fs), C McMullan.
Subs: S Heggarty for C McMullan.
Cashel: M Gilmartin, E O’Dwyer, E Butler, A Keane, L Kavanagh, A Gayson-Molloy, k Downey, A Fahie 0-2, E Horgan, L Fahie, G Moloney 0-2, E Browne 0-2, L O’Connor 0-3 (fs), E Gillespie, A Murphy.
