Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Premier Junior championship – Group One
Roscommon 0-8 Antrim 3-11
DERVLA Cosgrove hit a first half hat-trick and added three points as Antrim posted an emphatic 3-11 to 0-8 victory in Ballyforan against Roscommon on Saturday to make it a day of double delight for the Saffrons.
Her first strike came after just 40 seconds and her second goal in the 18th minute made it 2-1 to 0-1. Indeed she was the only Antrim scorer until Brogan Abram and Ellen Leech got in on the act ten minutes before half time.
Cosgrove however finished the half in style bringing her first half total to 3-3 with a goal in injury time that had her team 3-5 to 0-3 to the good.
Roscommon doubled down on Cosgrove in the second half and kept her scoreless until the last three minutes when she added three points from frees. By then Antrim were assured of victory and had run their bench.
Although all the five scorers were from the Cushendall club, they had good support from a solid defence built around Megan McGarry and captain Maria McLarnon.
In the other game in the group Armagh scored an emphatic 6-21 to 0-6 victory in Limerick raising expectation that Antrim could qualify for the semi-finals along with the team that recently beat them in the Ulster final.
Antrim are not involved in next week’s games, but will travel to Down on June 11th for their second outing in the championship.
Antrim: Áine Graham, Megan McGarry, Eilish Kearns, Caitlin Heggarty, Maria McLarnon capt, Sinéad Cosgrove, Enya McShane, Emma Laverty, Tara O’Neill, Brogan Abram 0-1, Clare Kearney 0-1, Caoimhe McNaughton, Anna McNeill 0-1, Ellen Leech 0-2, Dervla Cosgrove 3-6 (0-5 frees)
Subs: Riana McBride for C Kearney, Erin Traynor for T O’Neill, Caitlin Crawford for E Laverty, Lisa McConville for C McNaughton.
Roscommon: M Fallon, S Hanley, M Tiernan, K Lavin, N Conway, C Whyte-Lennon, S Dooley, R Fitzmaurice, T Naughton 0-6 (fs), L Rowe, R Brennan, J Horan, S Finneron 0-1, Caitrion Regan 0-1, C Kilcommins.