Travel Ireland Coaches Antrim senior semi-final
Loughgiel 3-10 Cushendall 0-8
For forty minutes of Sunday’s Senior Camogie Championship semi-final challengers Cushendall gave as good as they got against champions Loughgiel. Fierce intensity in their play saw them go score for score form good periods of the opening half and though they slipped back a little nearing half time they were only two adrift at the short whistle. (0-5 to 1-4)
The came back to level the game in the early stages of the second half and you began to wonder if there may be a major upset in the offing. However Loughgiel appeared to flick a switch and when Roisin McCormick soloed through from distance to fire home a goal they came alive and during the next ten minutes they had secured their passage to next week’s final where they take on Ballycastle.
Loughgiel got the first score of the game but Cushendall began to find their feet and three points from Orlagh O’Hara helped them open a 0-5 to 0-2 lead. Roisin McCormick raced through and fired in a shot at goal midway through the opening half and even though her shot was well saved Orlagh Laverty was on hand to fire home the rebound. Caitrin Dobbin and McCormick added points and it looked like they would pull away, but Cushendall hung in well and they were just two adrift by the time referee Owen Elliott sounded the half time whistle.
Cushendall came back to draw level five minutes after the restart and were going toe to toe with the champions until the 40th minute when McCormick showed her class by racing through and firing home the lead goal. Suddenly the Shamrocks were on fire and some great scores from Amy Boyle and Caitrin Dobbin saw they begin to pull clear. Cushendall were on the ropes as their first half exertions began to take their toll and Loughgiel took advantage to pile on the scores, substitute Chloe Higgins getting their third goal and fellow substitute Annie Lynn hitting a couple of excellent points to see here team home with a bit to spare.
Loughgiel: R McCormick 1-1, 0-1 free, O Laverty 1-1, C Higgins 1-0, C Dobbin 0-3, A Lynn 0-2, A Boyle 0-2, Christine Laverty 0-1.
Cushendall: O O’Hara 0-5, 4 frees, S McKillop 0-2, D Cosgrove 0-1 free.
