Very Ireland National Camogie League Division 1B
Antrim 2-14 Wexford 3-14
For most of the first half of this rescheduled Very National League game in Portglenone Antrim appeared to be well set for a famous win over Wexford. And a subsequent place in the final. However a controversial decision just before the break turned the game on its head when the visitors were awarded a penalty when corner back Colleen Patterson was adjudged to have fouled her marker, when it seemed to clear to everyone in attendance that the foul should have gone the other way.
Ciara O’Connor sent the resultant penalty to the Antrim net and soon afterwards Leah Walsh grabbed her team’s second goal and suddenly the visitors were in charge as they lead by 2-7 to 0-8 at the interval.
The Saffrons had made a great start with three points from Caitrin Dobbin, but Wexford hit back to score the next three points to draw level
Siobhán McKillop, Katie McKillop and Shannon Graham came back with points to help their team to a 0-8 to 0-6 up after 25 minutes, but things went badly against the Saffron in those final minutes of the half to put a much different complexion on the game as the teams came out for the second half.
A Wexford point at the start of the second half increased their lead to six but Antrim battled back and got the next three points. Áine Magill’s score might well have been a goal for Caitrín Dobbin; her shot came off the base of the post to Magill with the goalie stranded.
However another bad blow saw Curran’s shot from distance ending up in the Antrim net and despite a good point from Siobhán McKillop and a free from Dobbin, Wexford were still 3-8 to 0-13 ahead by the midway point of the half.
Cassie McArthur scores the first of her two second half goals
Cassie McArthur came off the bench for Magill after 48 minutes and her first touch was to finish a move from the McKillops with an Antrim goal. The gap was down to two points.
However Ciara O’Connor took control at the other end with two excellent points from play and then another from a free to make the game safe for her team.
Deep in injury time Róisín McCormick and Lucia McNaughton drove forward to set McArthur up for her second goal, but it came too late to to change the overall result and Wexford were through to a final meeting with Waterford.
Antrim: C McArthur (2-0), C Dobbin (0-9, 7 frees), S McKillop (0-2), S Graham (0-1), K McKillop (0-1), Á Magill (0-1)
Wexford: C O’Connor (1-7, 1-0 pen, 5 frees), A Curran (1-4), L Walsh (1-0), L Bulger (0-1), S O’Connor (0-1), E Tomkins (0-1)
Antrim: C Graham, C Patterson, K Laverty, M Lynn, M McGarry, C Conlon, A Boyke, L McNaughton, A Connolly, S McKillop, S Graham, K McKillop, Á Magill, R McCormick, C Dobbin.
Subs: C McArthur for Á Magill (48)
Wexford: L Brennan, M O’Dowd, E Walsh, R Cooney, A Dunne, C Storey, O Sinnott, S O’Connor, C Cashe, K Kirwan A Curran, Á Leacy, L Bulger, C O’Connor, L Walsh.
Subs: M Byrne for L Walsh (44), M Sinnott for R Cooney (50), C Fox for K Kirwan (55), A Neville for Á Leacy (59), K Roche for E Walsh (60), E O’Connor for O Sinnott (62)
