Antrim Camogie League Senior Division 1
Loughgiel v Portglenone 16th July 2024
Report and photo album from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Healy Park
As Loughgiel’s senior camogie panel begin to coalesce after absences across a large portion of the league window, tonight’s game against the Geraldines would offer an appropriate way back to club game time for some. This was a dominant display of camogie from the Shamrocks and goals were almost as popular as points, but the Geraldines were always a viable threat and Loughgiel’s keeper, Eimer Boyle, had to stay switched on and fully aware of incoming attacks on numerous occasions.
A calm and warm evening that clouded over as we got into the game, offered ideal playing conditions at Fr. Healy Park. Tonight’s referee, Owen Elliott rolled in the sliotar away from the dugouts to an impatient Amy Boyle, taking possession and making a blazing run for goal within seconds of the clock starting. Portglenone were quick to squeeze Boyle to a halt around the box and it would fall to Loughgiel’s Caitrin Dobbin to point and register the first score of the night on the Fridge Raiders Scoreboard.
Dobbin would be a threat all evening and her pace and agility opened up goal scoring opportunities but not without the essential feeds from Marie Laverty, Louise & Clare McKillop, Katie McKillop and Anna Connolly to name a few.
Portglenone’s keeper, Patricia McCarry would have a busy night in nets but several saves, one particularly from Amy Boyle eleven minutes into the first half was a notable moment, and an on form Carlina Sullivan would have her goal tally pegged back one as McCarry dropped one of her on target sliotars safely to the ground, deserving credit where it’s due.
As Elliott closed the first half, Portglenone’s deficit offered an uphill challenge to turn the game around or at least slow the march of the Shamrock machine.
Over the first eight minutes of the second half, Loughgiel would put emphasis on breaking down the Geraldines’ defence with swift passing, diagonal balls and a bobbing Dobbin would make the task of marking a sweeping full forward all the more difficult.
Portglenone’s Orlagh Convery and Eimear McKee made good of any pointing opportunities and Aine Mulholland made every attempt to battle for the loose ball and set up numerous opportunities to advance the sliotar. Despite wearing a fifteen on her jersey, Mulholland worked tirelessly throughout the 60 minutes from a half back position to mid field and further, when necessary.
Loughgiel’s final goal of the evening would come eight minutes in, with heaps of good fortune, as Caitrin Dobbin hauled in a free from the visitors’ dugout towards the road end goals, however the dropping sliotar fell behind McCarry’s hoisted stick into the goal instead of over the bar.
Undeterred, the Geraldines battled it out for possession for the remainder of the second half and pinned Loughgiel to scoring only five points, though the last two were text book catch and shoot points by Caitrin Dobbin and Christine McCloskey, before Elliott called for full time.
That concludes the current published fixtures portion of the league and we now wait to see how the next tranche of fixtures will pan out.
Photos from Tuesday evening’s game can be found in the photo album by clicking on the link here.
https://myalbum.com/album/TbaZGRTM6xbkLz/?invite=00045680-bb58-4e05-b191-87ec100200f4
Follow Michael G Corcoran @keep_clickin on X (formerly Twitter) for match Gifs when available.
Follow The Saffron Gael @TheSaffronGael on X for links to match reports.