Tesco All-Ireland under 16B Camogie Championship semi-final
Antrim 4-10 Offaly 3-7
A hat-trick of goals from full forward Janey McInsosh steered Antrim through to their first Tesco All-Ireland under 16 final since taking the 2018 title in a derby decider with Derry, completing a great weekend for the county.
The Antrim girls got the perfect start in Mattock Rangers ground in Coolon on Sunday as they hit three points in the first two minutes through Janey McIntosh (2) and Eobha McAlister and they increased that with a further goal and two points before the sixth minute with McIntosh hitting the first of her 3 goals.
Offaly came back with two points but Janey fired in her second goal in the 12th minute. Surprisingly there was just one further Antrim score during the rest of the first half, a point from midfielder Shannagh Heggarty as Offaly closed the game down. The Offaly girls started to find a bit of form and they managed to claw their way back into the game and by the time the half time whistle souded they had cut the deficit back to seven points (2-6 to 0-5)
Ballycastle star McIntosh completed her hat-trick by the 43rd minute as the Saffrons continued to dominate, though they got a little slack at the back and let Offaly in for three late goals to narrow the gap to just two points.
It was a nerve wracking time for the Antrim fans at this stage, but Orla McAlister settled the nerves as she added a fourth goal and McIntosh brought her tally to 3-4 as he slotted over the last point of the game. McIntosh and McAlister were the starts but there was also top displays by Abi McNeill and Laura Black in defence and Shannagh Heggarty and Eobha McAlister around the middle of the park.
ANTRIM
Eimear McGivern, Ciara Boylan, Aislin Donnelly, Aimee Ferris, Laura Black, Abi McNeill (c), Erin Connolly, Shannagh Heggarty, Meabh Devlin, Eobha McAllister, Orla McAllister, Orla McCurry, Kady McNeill, Janey McIntosh, Cara McNicholl.
