AIB Ulster Senior club semi-final
Loughgiel (Antrim) 0-9 Slaughtneil (Derry) 0-5
THIS first ever meeting of Loughgiel and Slaughtneil at the semi-final stage of the AIB Ulster senior club championship was far from a classic, despite taking place in near perfect weather and pitch conditions.
There have been low-scoring games between the pair in the past, but this one was the product of a plethora of unforced errors; with ten minutes to go each team had run up ten wides and there had been just ten scores (0-6 to 0-4 in favour of the winners).
Indeed the winners scored just once in the first half and their opponents just once during the second; it wasn’t for the want of opportunities although both teams had stars in defence with veterans Charlene Campbell and Emma McFadden matched by Céat McEldowney and Clíodhna Ní Mhianáin.
Slaughtneil were the more accurate team before the break and deserved to lead by 0-4 to 0-1 with Olivia Rafferty hitting the target three times, twice from frees. Loughgiel’s only score came from a 45 from Caitrín Dobbin who had won the Ulster senior dancing championship less than 24 hours earlier.
She danced her way through for the opening score of the second half, but the wides count mounted at both ends before Róisín McCormick pointed four frees between the 40th and 49th minutes.
Those scores put Loughgiel in command and Dobbin quickly added two from play to take them into the safety zone at 0-8 to 0-4. Sub Therese Mellon hit Slaughtneil’s only score of the half in added time.
Loughgiel, who have been in action five weekends in a row, will now welcome the break ahead of the final against Liatroim Fontenoys on November 18th.
Loughgiel: R McCormick 0-5 frees, C Dobbin 0-4, 1 free.
Slaughtneil: O Rafferty 0-3, 2 frees, S Mellon 0-1, T Mellon 0-1
Loughgiel: E Boyle, C Campbell, K Lynn, M Lynn, E McFadden, C Boyle, C McKillop, A Boyle, L McNaughton, Christine Laverty, A Connolly, R McCormick, C Dobbin, O Laverty, A Lynn
Subs: Ciara Laverty for K Lynn (33), K McKillop for A Lynn (54).
Slaughtneil: J McMullan, C Glass, Céat McEldowney, C Ní Mhianáin, L Dougan, A Ní Chaiside, C McGrath, B McAllister, C Mulholland, S Bradley, O Rafferty, B McGourty, E McGuigan, S Mellon, C Kearney
Subs: T Mellon for C Kearney (41), Carla McEldowney for E McGuigan (47)
Referee: P McDonnell (Cavan)
