Antrim Camogie Division 1 League Loughgiel v Brídíní Óga 6th May 25
Loughgiel 7-20 Brídíní Óg 1-04
Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel
Another glorious early summer evening welcomed players and supporters around Fr. Healy Park for another league match from division 1. With just enough of a northerly chill to take the edge off any warmth of the sun, Brídíní Óga, having won the toss, opted to play the first half towards the clubhouse and match referee, Paul O’Neill threw in the sliotar sharply at 7pm to get the game underway.
Loughgiel were first to find the catch net, with an on-form Orlagh Laverty taking the point after a hard-won ball out of a ruck. The Shamrocks would streak ahead to four points with points from Katie McKillop (2) and Marie Laverty to put four on the scoreboard before Brídíní Óga’s Aimee Traynor would reply with Glenravel’s first point after five minutes.
Loughgiel would get their scoring back on track from a fine point by Marie Laverty but a surprise ball that worked its way behind the Shamrock’s defence seen Traynor tidy up the loose ball deep into Loughgiel’s net for the first green flag of the evening and offered promise of possible things to come, but Loughgiel were strong, persistent and consistent and when Katie McKillop offloaded to Orlagh Laverty, the Shamrocks had their first goal of the evening and soon to be two from Laverty at sixteen minutes on the clock.
Brídíní Óga’s Torie Edgar dropped a free over Loughgiel’s bar to keep momentum going, however Loughgiel’s Katie McKillop would play an influential role in feeding sliotars deep into Brídíní Óga’s back line and it wasn’t long before Kirsty McKendry and Marie Laverty were raising two more green flags along with a steady flow of points to close the first half Loughgiel 4-12 Brídíní Óga 1-02.
On commencement of the second half, the Shamrocks picked it up right where they left off and a neat pass from Christine McCloskey to Marie Laverty eventually found the stick of Kirsty McKendry and into the back of the net for goal number five.
McCloskey would return to the scoring zone again within minutes of the goal but on this occassion, goalkeeper, Orla Donnelly, diffused the sizzling sliotar out wide and away before leaving the field with a foot injury.
With forty five minutes on the clock, Brídíní Óga’s Shauna McDonnell broke through and landed a score over the bar along with a fine point from substitute Oonagh ward but that would never be enough to stop the Shamrock machine from improving their scoreline with another two goals coming from Carlina Sullivan and Katie McKillop, McKillop getting her goal from a Orlagh Laverty pass. Over the second half, Loughgiel would also move the scoreboard along another eight points to close the game Loughgiel 7-20 Brídíní Óga 1-04.
This was a strong performance from the Shamrock’s tonight and a game that offered both sides bench rotation but without a real threat to Loughgiel’s winning position.
Loughgiel panel and scorers
Emma McAllister, Charlene Campbell, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Ciara Connolly 0-01, Louise McKillop, Maeve Shannon, Anna Connolly, Shanna Deery, Katie McKillop 1-08 (1×45, 6f), Marie Laverty 1-04, Christine McCloskey, Orlagh Laverty 2-02, Kirsty McKendry 2-00, Anna McKillop 0-04, Shauna McKillop, Zoe Cassley, Sarah Flavin, Erin Connolly, Anna Smyth, Megan McGarry, Aoibheann Gillan, Carlina Sullivan 1-01
Brídíní Óga panel and scorers
Orla Donnelly, Una McAleenan, Jamie Woulahan, Erin McAleese, Ciara McCormick, Bronagh Laverty, Danielle Scally, Órlaith Gould, Kirsty Laverty, Emily Sharpe, Shauna McDonnell 0-01, Torie Edgar 0-01f, Niamh Mckay, Caoimhe Duffin, Aimee Traynor 1-01, Niamh Donnelly, Oonagh Ward 0-01, Sorchá Carey
To see more photos from tonight’s game, click on the following click…
https://myalbum.com/album/9zUM5NHB7JEY98/?invite=289906ee-b809-4b3b-96d0-81d5db3fd832