Electric Ireland Minor A Shield Waterford v Antrim Sunday 2nd March 2025
Waterford 4-10 Antrim 4-16
Match report and photos from Antrim Camogie County PRO, Michael Corcoran in Abbotstown National Sports Campus 3G pitch
A jab-lift defying sliotar that ran ahead of the hurl kept players running and running on the synthetic surface in Saturday’s Minor All Ireland championship round between Waterford and Antrim. Eight goals in total held supporters’ attention from start to finish as both sides looked for the advantage in the windswept game.
Saturday’s game went down to the final five minutes as Waterford bombarded Antrim’s goals time and time again, attempting to close the six-point gap, but Antrim held firm and earlier mistakes that drew Waterford’s first three goals were not on repeat.
Antrim got off to a flying start as Kady McNeill grabbed possession of the throw-in and a solo run finished with Antrim’s first point of the day, as referee Enda Loughnane from Galway got the game underway with Waterford winning the toss and choosing to swap ends and play into the breeze in the first half. Antrim’s fortunes are partially rooted to that decision as the breeze fell considerably in the last quarter of the game and allowed the Saffrons to dominate a significant portion of the second half to maintain their lead for the full 30 minutes of play and easily four minutes of stoppage.
Antrim, penalized for a throw ball, would have to endure an incision of play right through the back line as Waterford’s free from Aisling Bonnar rippled its way from Helen Dungan O’Neill to Kim McGrath and onto the goal scorer, Emma Walsh, but Antrim were quick to reply with two successive points and a hammer blow to Waterford’s lead came as Eobha McAllister found Eimear McCaughan and suddenly Antrim looked alive but resting early on their laurels caught the Saffrons out as Waterford’s Molly Keannelly made it two goals and then to add pressure onto Antrim’s full back line, Antrim’s sideline ball was intercepted and turned over by Molly Keannelly and then onto Aine Mackay for Waterford’s third goal
With only six and a half minutes gone, Antrim seemed in peril but to their full credit, went about pointing successively until on the nineteenth minute, Antrim’s Cara Delaney nosed her team ahead by a point and Antrim remained ahead for the rest of the game.
Antrim improved their lead by another goal on the twenty fifth minute from Kady McNeill and although Waterford returned time and again to collect their points into the wind, the Saffrons replied sufficiently to hold onto a two-point lead at the break, Waterford 3-06 Antrim 2-11.
The second half started well for Antrim as Eobha McAllister parted company with the sliotar on a goal attempt, although saved well, McAllister looped back within the minute and made no mistake with her second attempt as she looked up to find the top left of the goal.
Antrim were now looking comfortable and working into the breeze helped towards ball control and they started to amass their points that would win the game at the long whistle.
At twenty minutes gone in the second half, despite Waterford rallying with three points to close the gap to six in Antrim’s favour, a Waterford goal from Molly Keannelly was matched by Antrim’s goal as Eva McNeill lobbed in a lethal sliotar that had the hallmarks of a point but dropped in over the head of Waterford’s keeper, Aoife Healy and Antrim held their six point lead, despite Waterford’s attempts to score goals in the last two minutes of normal time and four minutes added on.
But drama wouldn’t be far away that could reduce Antrim’s lead as Waterford’s Helen Dungan O’Neill stepped up to take a penalty in the last minute of the game, but Antrim’s Orlaith Johnston got the better of the shot placed down the middle of the goals and the Saffrons were able to preserve their six point lead, when the long whistle went, scores stood Waterford 4-10 Antrim 4-16.
This is a good opening test for Antrim albeit not on grass, with the synthetic surface adding pace into the game, Antrim will have to adjust back onto grass for the next game in Ballycastle, Sunday 9th March, as they play Derry in the previously postponed fixture.
Waterford starting panel and scorers
Aoife Healy, Ceire Ryan, Amy Lynch, Emily Foran, Rebecca Mason, Lana Murphy, Shayla Condon, Aishling Bonnar 0-08 (6f), Aoife Lattimore, Aine Mackey 1-00, Helen Dungan O’Neill, Kim McGrath 0-01, Emma Walsh 1-00, Molly Kenneally 2-00, Rebecca Farrell 0-01
Antrim starting panel and scorers
Orlaith Johnston, Rhianna Black, Eva Lee, Cara Burns, Maeve Devlin, Casey Crawford, Laura Black, Eobha McAllister 1-03, Kady McNeill 1-01, Cara Delaney 0-01, Eva McNeill 1-06 (3f 2×45), Órlaith Gould, Aimee Ferris 0-03, Mary McArthur 0-02, Eimear McCaughan 1-00
Photos from Saturday’s game can be found in the photo album here…
https://myalbum.com/album/xJ3oMvzyJKtbuo/?invite=9df65406-99f6-4b3e-9e88-a1586518a892