Limerick v Antrim Very National Div 1B League 22nd February 2025
Limerick 0-07 Antrim 2-10
Match report and photos from Antrim Camogie PRO Michael Corcoran
A goal and seven points in the first half compared to Limerick’s 0-02 tally, set the Saffrons up to face a four or five point wind advantage for Limerick in the second half, as the Treaty County won the toss and opted to play into the wind in the first half.
Antrim’s early goal from Caitrin Dobbin came from a spearhead attack from Eavanne Martin, finding Dobbin with a surreptitious pass into the box requiring a mere flick to ripple Limerick’s goal net.
Antrim were the dominant force in the first half, walking in at the short whistle with an eight point lead but left an unanswered question on the pitch, namely would Limerick be able to come back with the calculated advantage.
Match referee, Brian Kearney, started proceedings promptly and Limerick was soon knocking on Antrim’s door, with goalkeeper, Caitriona Graham getting the better of an advance and winning a foul. The long puck eventually worked its way to Antrim’s Eavanne Martin, and a running Caitrin Dobbin would be the beneficiary of the pass that fooled Limerick’s full back line, resulting in the green flag being raised within the first two minutes of the game.
Limerick were on the reply and had Antrim’s goalkeeper, Graham, sending the sliotar back out only to be turned over by Donna Kenny for her point, making that Limerick’s first score in the match after seven minutes.
Antrim’s Nicole McAtamney built up Antrim’s early lead, cruising two frees between the uprights for two fouls, one stemming from a dropped hurl and the other a push in the back. One of those white flags could have been neutralised by Limerick’s Orlaith Kelliher, with a superb high ball catch but drifted the shot wide of the mark.
McAtamney wasn’t able to cash in on another two frees as the sliotar drifted wide of the uprights, telling a tale that factoring in the wind would be paramount today.
Nearly twenty minutes would elapse in the game before Antrim’s Eavanne Martin notched the Saffrons up a point on the manual scoreboard, and Martin would return within the minute after Antrim’s Clare McKillop managed to dig out the sliotar from an intense ruck, finding Martin and a subsequent point.
Limerick’s Laura Southern would take a push in the back, finding some satisfaction as she cruised her free between Antrim’s uprights, with scores on the board Limerick 0-02 Antrim 1-04.
An on-form Martin would step into the shoes of last week’s top scorer, Dervla Cosgrove , sitting out this game due to sickness, and converted two more fouls into points from a hold and an over carry of the sliotar.
With only two minutes remaining in the first half, Antrim’s Dobbin couldn’t get an angle for a green flag route, instead took her point, leaving the short whistle to register Limerick 0-02 Antrim 1-07 on the board.
Antrim’s first half was built on dominance as the mid and half forward line of Boyle, McAtamney, McIntosh, McNaughton and Martin were instrumental in pushing Limerick back into their own half for much of that portion of the game, but much was to play for in the second half.
The start of the second half witnessed Limerick drifting a crucial free wide of the post after only two minutes, that would have possibly ignited a resurgence of scoring activity in the Limerick camp, but it would be Antrim that would raise the first white flag, as Lucia McNaughton delivered the sliotar to an advancing Martin for her fourth point of the day.
Limerick’s supporters might have been basking in the late winter sun, but Antrim would have to weather a Limerick storm for almost fifteen minutes as the tables were turned and Limerick managed to push Antrim back into their own half, delivering four points without reply, two of those from Southern, Kenny and Larkin.
Antrim would break that pattern whenever McAtamney delivered to Dobbin and onto Martin for Antrim’s reply after the nineteenth minute and in just over a minute later, Martin made a tenacious advance into Limerick’s green flag zone but Limerick’s Aine Foley, diffused the tension only for Limerick to succumb to an advancing Dobbin, pulling on the sliotar for her second goal in today’s game.
Drama would unfold in the twenty forth minute as Antrim’s Katie Molloy ventured deep into Gillane territory and Kearney, having spotted Molloy being held and pulled to the ground, wasted no time in awarding a penalty. Antrim’s Eavanne Martin stepped up for the penalty, but Gillane had the makings of the save as the sliotar flew down the centre.
An air of confidence had worked itself up in the Antrim camp by now, and the bench was starting to find effective game time, as Eimear Johnston took a superb catch from Annie Lynn, and took her score that would be Antrim’s last of the day.
Limerick’s primary free taker, Caoimhe Costelloe was keen to drop the sliotar into Antrim’s goal area for much of the second half, when the opportunity arose, but when Orlaith Kelliher floated her point high over the bar on the thirtieth minute, Antrim knew the game was all but over and as the long whistle signalled the end of the match, the scoreboard registered Limerick 0-07 Antrim 2-10.
Up to now, Antrim have enjoyed a good run in the league with two wins from two games. Round three is a home game in Ballycastle to Westmeath on Saturday 1st March, with a throw in time of 2pm.
Limerick starters and scorers
Sarah Gillane, Aoife Nelligan, Muireann Creamer, Aine Foley, Shauna Cunningham, Emily O’Halloran, Teresa Dore, Mairead Ryan, Ailbhe Larkin 0-01, Caoimhe Costelloe 0-02, Lizanna Boylan, Stephanie Woulfe, Donna Kenny 0-02, Orlaith Kelliher 0-01, Laura Southern 0-01f
Antrim starters and scorers
Caitriona Graham, Clare McKillop, Katie Lynn, Caoimhe McNaughton, Erin Coulter, Sarah O’Neill, Shannagh Heggarty, Amy Boyle, Nicole McAtamney 0-02f, Janey McIntosh, Lucia McNaughton, Eavanne Martin 0-06 (3f), Orlaith McAllister, Katie Molloy, Caitrin Dobbin 2-01, Eimear Johnston 0-01
More photos from Saturday’s game can be found in the album here…
https://myalbum.com/album/2D6NXaja5K6unn/?invite=71f575cf-66e0-4e85-8f51-8397fc020ae0