Antrim Camogie League Division 1 – 30th July 2024
Dunloy 2-10 Loughgiel 6-11
Match report and photo album from Michael Corcoran at Pearse Park, Dunloy
With Dunloy just one game away from a league title Loughgiel spoiled the party with a late surge of scores on Tuesday evening, Roisin McCormick leading the line with a player of the match display. Bathed in summer sun, Pearse Park was buzzing with young voices milling around pucking balls before the senior Camogs took to the pitch. Summer had arrived in Dunloy, albeit briefly. As the north wind pegged temperatures to a mere 15 degrees, almost to a breath by half time, a sinking sun would eventually cause the temperature to head south.
It wouldn’t feel chilly to the players though. A high intensity first half had both sides going toe to toe, despite Loughgiel adding two goals to their scoreline. Dunloy would respond after the break with two goals amidst a period of end-to-end camogie but as Loughgiel pressed in the fourth quarter, Dunloy had no answer to a series of spearheaded attacks up the centre of the field, culminating in a clutch of goals for the Shamrocks.
Referee Shane Mc Donnell threw in sharply on the half hour and it would be Dunloy’s Aine Magill pointing for the first score of the night. Loughgiel’s Roisin McCormick would reply quickly with a point set up by Lucia McNaughton who was making her return to playing after convalescing an injury, and she would prove pivotal in establishing a supply of sliotars to the full forward line throughout the match.
Dunloy had a reply in the making as Cassie McArthur drilled the sliotar over Eimear Boyles bar from outwards of 25 metres. The Shamrocks could have inched up two points from frees awarded due to fouls on both Amy Boyle and Lucia McNaughton, but McCormick drifted both wide before a McNaughton shot on target was pushed out by Dunloy’s keeper, Mary Martin and returned to the back of the net from an alert Christine McCloskey, ten minutes into the first half.
Dunloy’s Aine Magill would help to minimise Loughgiel’s score with a straight point won in midfield. Both sides tallied up a further three points from play, though Loughgiel’s Emma McFadden, drifting up to the half way line, dropped in a towering sliotar that was splitting the bar. Mary Martin had no sooner skilfully brought that to ground when McCormick would turn it over for her point.
Up to now, Dunloy were capable of shutting down the majority of advances in and around the 13m box but as Annie Lynn took possession and offloaded to McNaughton, an accurate pass to McCormick allowed the full forward to clock up Loughgiel’s second goal twenty-four minutes into the first half.
It could have been three majors before the short whistle as the McNaughton-McCormick combination were denied a shot on target by a brave save from Mary Martin.
With two more points apiece from each side, Dunloy’s from frees by Nicole McAtamney, McDonnell spotting a trip and a slap on the stick, and Loughgiel’s points from play from McCormick and McNaughton, the short whistle paused the scoreboard with Loughgiel four to the good Dunloy 0-08 Loughgiel 2-06.
Dunloy started the second half with intentions of scoring goals. As Bronagh Magill fed a determined McAtamney firing to target, Eimear Boyle dropped the sliotar safely to ground, eventually carried away by Clare McKillop. Dunloy returned again, this time Cassie McArthur would spill the sliotar wide of the post before Aine Magill breached Boyle’s defences and delivered into the top left of the net.
Never one for travelling too deep from her midfield role, Loughgiel’s Amy Boyle was extremely busy winning the sliotar from rucks and offloading those with tremendous pace as she split from the pack. One of those found McNaughton for a competent point from upwards of 35 metres out into the dropping breeze.
The large scoreboard was quietly announcing Dunloy 1-08 Loughgiel 2-07 after 13 minutes, when Cassie McArthur was rewarded for her persistence in staying deep for a simple pull on the sliotar as Boyle took a step back behind the goal line.
The game was in the balance whenever a pressing McCormick forced an error in defence and once the sliotar was firmly on McCormick’s stick, it travelled in only one direction for her second goal. McCormick would now initiate an avalanche of goals. Substitute Marie Laverty placed the sliotar into the hands of McNaughton and a running McCormick had her hat trick. McCormick’s fourth goal came as a short puck out failed to find a secure Cuchulainn hand, resulting in an eagle-eyed McCormick turning that over into the net.
Although both sides managed to point in between the majors, Marie Laverty would take the honour of closing Loughgiel’s account as Dunloy’s keeper diffused an awkward high ball, Laverty intuitively flicked the sliotar up high under the bar for her goal.
Dunloy’s Nicole McAtamney was sweeping tirelessly back and forward at times to help break down some of Loughgiel’s advances. The hard-working wing half forward would get her final point of the night from a free at 30 minutes on the clock. McDonnell glanced down and brought proceedings to an end with only a minute of added time.
The result brings the league title down to the wire with interesting permutations to play out in division 1a. A lot will depend on Cushendall as they are in a position to be King makers or harvesters of woe.
Dunloy Scorers:
Caoimhe Molloy 0-01, Nicole McAtamney 0-04 (3f), Cassie McArthur 1-02, Aine Magill 1-03
Loughgiel Scorers:
Christine McCloskey 1-00, Lucia McNaughton 0-03, Roisin McCormick 4-07 (2f, 1×45), Anna McKillop 0-01, Marie Laverty 1-00
Photos from Tuesday evening’s game can be found in the photo album by clicking on the link here.
https://myalbum.com/album/o5QcGeGa5Tenze/?invite=8e611591-2b4c-4d71-abe1-0c4938819d8f
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