Senior Camogie League Division One
Dunloy 3-23 Cushendall 4-11
Tuesday 6 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
A much improved second half performance was enough for Dunloy to get over the line on Tuesday evening as they saw off the challenge of Cushendall. The Cuchullains camogs knew coming into the game that if they avoided defeat, they would add the league title to the senior Feis they won last month and while the score line would suggest they won this one without any problems, the Ruairi’s came to Pearse Park looking to spoil the party. Dunloy powered through in the second half however producing 30 minutes of camogie where they showed how unrelenting they can be.
Nicole McAtamney top scored with 0-11 beside her name while the goals came from Cassie McArthur (two) and Eabha McAllister. Katie Molloy and Aine Magill were a constant threat while defensively, the home side really tightened up in the second half. Tenacious defending from Kathryn Boyle and Caoimhe Conlon in particular while the work rate of Caoimhe Molloy and Eimear Johnston in midfield shone throughout.
Cushendall were shorn of a few regulars but Eva McNeill was a shining light once again. She finished with 2-5 while substitute Kady McNeill caused the Dunloy defence plenty of problems. Defensively, they were overworked but the scoring power of Dunloy from all over the pitch was always going to be difficult to curtail.
The visitors to Pearse Park got off to the perfect start when Eva McNeill bagged her first of two goals inside the opening 20 seconds. Dunloy soon settled and with McAtamney accurate from placed ball, they kept the scoreboard ticking. The home side would score their first major in the 9th minute and while it was Eabha McAllister who applied the finish, it came through the work rate of Cassie McArthur. The sliotar spilled into McAllister’s path and she was in the right place at the right time.
Dunloy would run into a five point lead by the 20th minute before a brace of goals in as many minutes got Cushendall back into the game. The first came from Laura McMullan when her pointed effort dropped short, Dunloy ‘keeper Mary Martin misjudged the flight and the sliotar crossed the line.
Another long ball was to lead to the second Cushendall goal but it owed much to the persistence of Kady McNeill. The home side failed to deal with the danger and McNeill punished the error to put her side into a three point lead.
A brace of points from McAtamney followed before Cushendall’s fourth major came on the stroke of half time. Eva McNeill stood over a free over 50 yards from the Dunloy goal and the sliotar somehow managed to drop behind the Dunloy defence and into the net to leave Cushendall 4-6 to 1-11 ahead at the short whistle.
Having already scuppered a chance to take the league honours last week against Loughgiel, Dunloy were in danger of throwing away all the hard work throughout the league in the last two games at half time. But they produced a quite superb second half performance that was full of power, intensity, aggression and skill to leave Cushendall chasing shadows for much of the second half.
Their second goal came in the fourth minute of the second half. The Cushendall lead was reduced to three when Cassie McArthur found the back of the net. She capitalised on the loose sliotar after a strong run from Katie Molloy.
McArthur would double her goals tally in the 42nd minute with Dunloy leading by two points. Collecting a long ball, her movement left the Cushendall defence wrong footed and while the Ruairi’s ‘keeper Louise Mulholland came off her line, McArthur’s speed took her past her challenge as she finished into an empty net.
Points followed from Eabha McAllister and McAtamney before referee Owen Elliott awarded the home side a penalty for an infringement on McArthur. Nicole McAtamney stepped up to take the resulting penalty but her effort was well saved by Mulholland.
Chances for further goals came at either end in the time that remained, Eva McNeill bringing the best out of Mary Martin in the Dunloy goals while Aine Magill was denied by Mulholland.
The home side pushed on and added further scores with Katie Molloy (two) and Aine Magill finding their range to add gloss to the score line and ensure the Cuchullains would celebrate winning the league by the final whistle.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Mary Martin; Katherine Mullan, Caoimhe Conlon, Kathryn Boyle; Annie Laverty, Caitlin Crawford, Casey Crawford; Eimear Johnston, Caoimhe Molloy; Bronagh Magill, Aine Magill, Nicole McAtamney; Eabha McAllister, Katie Molloy, Cassie McArthur
Subs: Micha Cunning for B Magill (58)
Scorers: N McAtamney 0-11 (8fs 1’45); C McArthur 2-3; E McAllister 1-3; K Molloy 0-3; A Magill 0-2; C Molloy 0-1
Cushendall: Louise Mulholland; Annie Leech, Sinead Cosgrove, Aimee McDonnell; Aoife McClafferty, Laura Black, Catherine O’Boyle; Siobhan McKillop, Cara O’Boyle; Laura McMullan, Eva McNeill, Dervla Cosgrove; Amy McAllister, Orlaith McAllister, Orlaith McCurry
Subs: Kady McNeill for D Cosgrove (15); Maeve McAllister for A McClafferty (HT)
Scorers: E McNeill 2-5 (1-3 f’s); K McNeill 1-2; L McMullan 1-1; S McKillop 0-1; O McAllister 0-1; O McCurry 0-1
Referee: Owen Elliott
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