Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship – Round 1
Group 1
Antrim 2-10 Derry 3-17
Antrim’s All Ireland campaign got off to a bad start in Cushendall on Saturday when they were well beaten by Derry in their opening round-robin game at Pairc Mhuire, and now face an uphill struggle with games to come against Kilkenny, Tipperary and Limerick over the next three weeks. Two weeks ago the Saffrons beat their rivals in the Ulster Senior final, but short a couple of regulars they were a long was off the pace this time out.
With the breeze at their backs in the opening half PJ O’Mullan’s Derry side started strongly and they made an early statement when Aoife Shaw got the opening goal game to put them 1-1 to 0-0 clear by the eighth minute. Maeve Kelly pulled a point back less than a minute later, but Derry were bossing things around the field and when they hit the next four points without replay it was clear Antrim had a mountain to climb.
Dervla Cosgrove and Roisin McCormick came back with points for the Saffrons, but it was to be a brief respite for the home side as Derry came back with six more points on the trot, and led by 1-13 to 0-5 at half time.
Playing with the wind in the second half Antrim were still hanging on to some hope, but those hopes were dashed when Aoife Shaw got her second goal of the game and when Megan Donnelly added a point soon afterwards the only thing in question was the size of the winning margin.
To their credit Antrim kept battling away and Dervla Cosgrove and Roisin McCormick pulled a couple of goals back, McCormick’s late goal reducing the deficit to seven. However Derry were always in control and finished strongly with an Aimee Lennon goal.
Antrim Á Graham, F McIntosh, M McGarry, C McKillop, E Coulter, E Martin, A Boyle, E Johnston, S McKillop (0-1), M Kelly (0-3), R McCormick (1-2, 0-1 free), S Fyfe, E McIntosh (0-1), C McArthur, D Cosgrove (1-3, 0-2 frees)
Subs M McKenna for M McGarry (26), J McIntosh for F McIntosh (38), F Kelly for S Fyfe (42), A McKillop McArthur (46),
Derry N Gribbin, C McEldowney, N Quinn, S McGill, R Downey, M Donnelly, A Ní Chaiside, Á McGill, D O’Kane (0-2), O Rafferty (0-1), Á Barton (0-2), O Hull (0-2), A Shaw (2-2), B Rogers (0-5), A Lennon (1-3)
Subs R McAllister for Á McGill (51), A Cassidy for Á Barton (58), L Lennon for C McEldowney (59), J Donnelly for A Lennon (60), E Doherty for S McGill (60 + 2)
