Ballycastle 5-6 Armoy 2-4
The Junior Camogie Championship Shield Final was played under the lights of Quinn Park Ballymena on Monday evening with Ballycastle’s third team taking on the challenge of Armoy.
All Saints were the perfect hosts & had everything in order to give the girls the recognition they deserved for this County Championship Shield Final.
Referee Malachy McToal got proceedings underway at 7pm & although the girls from the town laid on the first few attacks, they saw their efforts drift wide. Gráinne Hunter at number 11 soon took control & fired over two points in quick succession for an early lead for MacUilín.
Armoy then settled into the game & got reward for their efforts when their initial shot on goal was saved but they were quickest to react & knock the sliotar over the line to go ahead with the game’s first goal. Ballycastle captain Laura Dallas coolly slotted over a free soon after to level proceedings before a great passage of play involving Dallas & Clare Scullion found Amy Hunter at full forward who rifled to the roof of the Armoy net.
Just as the McQuillan’s girls looked like they might be racing ahead, a free at the other end was expertly delivered by Ciara Devlin & just as it looked to be dropping over for a point, it dipped under the crossbar & into the top corner of the net to put Armoy right back in it. Devlin followed up with a pointed free to nudge the Glenrovers in front again before Siobhan McAuley made a strong run from wing half back & sent the sliotar between the uprights for the girls in black & amber. Alicia Butler was kept busy in the Armoy goal & did well to turn over the pressure coming at her from the hungry Ballycastle forwards, before Grainne Hunter finally hit the first of her 4 Goals with a rocket to the low corner of Butler’s net. That really spurred the castle contingent & Siobhan McAuley intercepted the resultant poc out & ran at goal again & slotted over the top.
Armoy cut the gap back to 3 with another accurate free from Devlin to leave the score at the short whistle McQuillan’s 2-05 Glenrovers 2-02.
All to play for in the second half, the game needed someone to step up & Ballycastle had real leaders in Bronagh McCaughan at half back & Grainne Hunter who was in devastating form in front of the posts. The first score was always going to be an important one and it came as the industrious Bronagh McCaughan was fouled as she made a burst forward and Laura Dallas made no mistake with the free to put 4 in it. The castle girls piled on more pressure up front and good work from Amy Hunter found the ever dangerous Gráinne Hunter who sent a bullet to the Armoy net.
Armoy showed fighting spirit in Leah Martin & Justine O’Hagan who were turning over attacks & Ciara Devlin was accurate from the dead ball twice again, one a 45, to pull 2 points back for the girls in blue.
With five points in it going into the last quarter, Ballycastle notched things up a gear. Dani McQuillan was rock solid at corner back and Aoife McCaughan was a work horse at midfield setting up attack after attack. Gráinne Hunter hit two superb goals in quick succession, bringing her personal tally to 4-02, to close the game as a contest in what was a great team display overall.
Final Score:
MacUilín Ballycastle 5-06
Glenrovers Armoy 2-04
Johnny Sayers presented the Shield to MacUilín CLG Junior captain, Laura Dallas.
Teams:
MacUilín Ballycastle
Julie McKillen, Anna Bakewell, Ciara McKeague, Dani McQuillan, Siobhan McAuley, Bronagh McCaughan, Donna Busby, Aoife McCaughan, Laura Dallas, Eimear Donnelly, Gráinne Hunter, Kara Brolly, Caitlin Hunter, Amy Hunter, Clare Scullion, Caoimhe McShane, Orla Mooney, Charly McQuillan, Leona Dallas, Emma Casement, Grainne O’Neill, Caoimhe O’Hara, Chloe Mitchell, Erin O’Hara
Glenrovers Armoy
Alicia Butler, Catie McCaighan, Shannon Richmond, Michelle O’Neillgj, Justine O’Hagan, Leah Martin, Caitlin Gillan, Nuala McCaughan, Naomi Williams, Caitlin Kelly, Jolene Creith, Ciara Devlin, Shauna Huey, Erin McMullan, Jennifer Devlin, Emma Huey, Jane McHenry
