O’Neill steers Cargin to Minor B Camogie title

Antrim Camogie Minor B Final at Dunsilly

Cargin Camogie 3-11 Rasharkin 1-6

Cargin won the Minor B Camogie title when they beat Rasharkin in the final in difficult conditions at Dunsilly on Wednesday evening. The Toome girls led by 1-15 to 0-2 at half time after playing with the wind behind them in the first half and when they increased their lead to eight early in the second period it looked like they would walk away with the game. However Rasharkin began to find a bit of rhythm in their play and two quick points were followed by a great goal direct from a free by centre forward Cora Henderson and suddenly the gap was down to just three. Cargin appeared to be in a bit of bother as they faced the stiff breeze, but brilliantly led by centre forward and Captain Sarah O’Neill they steadied the ship again and outscored their opponents by 3-3 to a 0-1 in the final thirteen minutes to win convincingly in the end.

Cargin’s Sarah O’Neill receives the trophy from Antrim Camogie Chairman Liam Vallelay

Rasharkin took a two point lead in the first six minutes as Ciara O’Boyle and Cora Henderson fired over, but once Cargin got their first score from a Sarah O’Neill free on eight minutes they began to gain the upper hand. They got a great break when a long delivery from O’Neill bounced awkwardly on the edge of the square and ended in the back of the net and they pushed on to added two more points through O’Neill and two from Sarah Quinn to lead by 1-5 to 0-2 by half time.

A point in the opening minute of the second half from Rasharkin’s Ciara O’Boyle (whose brilliant long range striking was one of the highlights of the game) to cut the gap to five. However Cargin responded really well and hit the next three points, two of them from Rosin Quinn and one from Sarah O’Neill.

Rasharkin’s Ciara O’Boyle whose long range stringing was one of the features of the game.

The gap was now out to eight, but O’Boyle’s long deliveries were creating chances for Rasharkin and points from Sinead Hasson and O’Boyle cut the gap to six. Luck was not on their side when they had shot come back off the post, but in the scramble that followed they were awarded a free and centre forward Cora Henderson blasted the ball low through a line of Cargin defenders and into the net.

Suddenly there were just three points separating the sides with fourteen minutes left to play, but to their credit Cargin stepped up the mark when it was most needed. Full forward Eimear McErlain started the scoring run when she pointed on 47 minute and soon afterwards Play of the Match Sarah O’Neill grabbed her team’s second goal to stretch the lead to seven. Two minutes later it was out to ten when Eimear McErlain got her team’s fourth goal and O’Neill added two more points to seal a terrific win