Antrim Camogie Senior Championship group game Loughgiel v Dunloy 14th Sept 2024
Loughgiel 6-10 Dunloy 0-08
Match report and photo album from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Healy Park
A porridge sky shifting quickly across the horizon was governed by a strong southerly breeze running up the length of the pitch in Fr. Healy Park, but the mild temperature helped to avoid spoiling the afternoon for many of the supporters lining the pitch. An in-form Shamrocks side clicked into gear and ran out the convincing winners as Dunloy struggled to find a weakness to leverage, despite taking the game to the hosts in the first five minutes.
Six Shamrock goals, divided equally between the two halves, dealt a blow to the Cuchulainns, reminiscent of July’s league game at Pearce Park. Dunloy will no doubt take stock, regroup and will want to avoid meeting Loughgiel in the semi final, at least not before dusting off today’s loss.
Owen Elliott took charge of the game and with Loughgiel electing to play into the wind, towards the clubhouse, promptly got proceedings underway, throwing in down towards the low side of the pitch. Dunloy’s Katie Molloy pointed within the first two minutes from a pass laid off by Brid Magill. Aine Magill was quick to bring trouble back to Loughgiel but a brave block from Emma McFadden forced Magill to work and persevere for her point. With Dunloy two on the board, Eobha McAllister would make that three just before Christine McCloskey was awarded a free but free taker, McFadden, was unable to reach the posts against the wind, leaving Dunloy to smother the sliotar into safety.
The sliotar didn’t stay safe for too long as Loughgiel’s Caitrin Dobbin netted on the nine minutes followed by a fine point from Roisin McCormick from around the hosts’ dugout area. Play commenced with Loughgiel returning back to cause the visitors more problems but Elliott blew for a foul on McCormick and that was safely dispatched for back to back points with twelve gone on the clock.
Loughgiel kept applying pressure and had Annie Lynn drifting the sliotar off target from a McCormick pass that looked promising but the Loughgiel supporters would settle for a second goal on twenty minutes as Lucia McNaughton delivered into a sure-footed McCormick as she moved with authority into the striking zone.
It wouldn’t all be about the full forward line though, as McCormick swept back deep on the puc-out, finding Clare McKillop holding a right wing back position running into space. McKillop would solo run half the length of the field before delivering over the bar for her point.
With twenty one minutes on the large Fridge Raiders scoreboard, Loughgiel’s Annie Lynn shook the back of Mary Martin’s net and the Shamrock’s tally of goals were now three and three points to Dunloy’s three points.
Awarded a free in her own half, Loughgiel’s McNaughton quickly offloaded to McCormick but a dying sliotar was spilled wide by Dunloy for the 45. McCormick tucked the 45 over the bar, followed by a free for a foul on Anna McKillop. A welcome point from play came from Caitrin Dobbin with twenty nine on the clock, after a sequence of interplaying hand passes with Christine McCloskey as the two Shamrocks weaved their way up to within Dobbin’s striking distance.
Although the Cuchulainnes hadn’t raised a flag in nearly twenty five minutes, they were grinding out every ruck, chasing every ball and when an overly eager Amy Boyle pushed Katharine Mullan, Elliott awarded a free and Nicole McAtamney lifted Dunloy up by the point just before Elliott blew for half time, leaving the scoreboard to announce Loughgiel 3-06 Dunloy 0-04.
As Owen Elliott rolled in the sliotar to commence the second half, Dunloy faced an uphill battle against a goal hungry Loughgiel, wind in their faces and for short spells, driving rain. But they never dropped their heads and made Loughgiel work for the sliotar, though McCormick would get the Shamrocks’ tally underway from a free just two minutes in. Dunloy replied with a McAtamney point as Elliott blew for a throw ball infringement.
McCormick was quickly back taking frees for a trip on Dobbin and a foul on Shauna Devlin. With 3-09 on the board for Loughgiel, fortune would favour a dropping ball sent in by Loughgiel’s Anna Connolly, fooling the visitors’ netmondder for goal number four.
A five minute passage of play witnessed a number of fouls, none of which helped anyone’s scoreline but Aine Magill made the most of her run on the high side of the pitch from close to the visitors’ dugout for a fine point with fifteen gone in the second half.
An improving weather spell would have gone unnoticed by Annie Lynn as she dropped her head and offloaded into a running Lucia McNaughton, delivering to the back of Dunloy’s net for the Shamrocks’ fifth goal. McAtamney would reply with two points from two frees with twenty one gone before Keeper Martin would face misfortune again, as Marie Laverty delivered the sliotar at an awkward height, sliding off Martin’s hand and into the net.
Loughgiel closed their account after Christine McCloskey pointed from an assist from sister Marie Laverty. Elliott blew with little gone over the hour, leaving the scoreboard to registering Loughgiel 6-10 Dunloy 0-08.
Loughgiel have one last game left in the table away against Brídíní Ogá, Glenravel this Friday and Dunloy host Ballycastle a week today. That will wrap up the table and we move into the knockout stages.
Loughgiel starters and scorers
Amy Boyle, Clare McKillop 0-01, Katie Lynn, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Emma McFadden, Shauna Devlin, Amy Boyle, Anna Connolly 1-0, Christine McCloskey 0-01, Lucia McNaughton 1-0, Annie Lynn 1-0, Caitrin Dobbin 1-01, Roisin McCormick 1-07 (5f 1×45), Anna McKillop, Marie Laverty 1-0
Dunloy starters and scorers
Mary Martin, Sarah McIlhatton, Katie Laverty, Kathryn Boyle, Brid Magill, Caoimhe Conlon, Caitlin Crawford, Eimear Johnston, Katharine Mullan, Nicole McAtamney 0-04f, Aine Magill 0-02, Bronagh Magill, Eobha McAllister 0-01, Katie Molloy 0-01, Cassie McArthur
Photos from today’s game can be found by clicking on the album link here…
Don’t forget to enjoy all of our photos in the Saffron albums on a large screen such as a laptop or tablet. Click on a photo to see it larger, look at the album as either a photo book or web pages and you can order a copy online as a keep’s sake.
https://myalbum.com/album/BaJ96KjRhN3V7f/?invite=0e0d1601-52dd-4377-9b0c-26cb2198b8f7
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.