Northern Properties Antrim Camogie Senior Championship 14th September 2025
Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Healy Park
Loughgiel 3-09 Cusendall 1-07
Table topping Loughgiel move through to the final of the Northern Properties Antrim Camogie Senior championship for a twelfth consecutive turn at chasing silver. A dismal spell of wet and windy weather for all of the sixty plus minutes, had it’s hand on the game, but some good camogie was on show as players battled it out.
Cushendall took the road end and played the first half into the jaws of a gale, after winning Owen Elliot’s toss. It was always going to be an uphill battle against an on form Shamrock machine but today’s conditions, although favouring no one, allowed Loughgiel to minimise Cushendall’s role for all of the first thirty minutes. Loughgiel were first to score with a Caitrin Dobbin point from an Anna Connelly pass and although Cushendall’s Eva McNeill made good from a foul, it would be Loughgiel’s Kirsty McKendry that would raise a green flag with her goal in less than seven minutes.
Cushendall’s Eva McNeill inched the Dall on the scoreboard with another point from a forty-five just before team mate, Brogan Abram, recycled a fine save from Shamrock goal keeper, Emma McAllister. An over worked McAllister would go on to make several excellent saves, thwarting Cushendall, particularly in the second half.
With just a point between sides, Loughgiel’s Roísín McCormick pointed from an Emma McFadden pass that was gathered up from a Dall puck out and Loughgiel looked like they were starting to drift away after a goalmouth scramble in the Dall end found Marie Laverty chasing the sliotar safely over the line from a Dobbin first attempt.
In the closing stages of the first half, Loughgiel widened the gap with five successive points with no reply to take the short whistle at Loughgiel 2-06 Cushendall 0-03.
The second half witnessed no discernible change in conditions but offered a chance for the Dall to leverage the elements in their favour but those aspirations were dashed when Roísín McCormick’s free dropped short and was offered out to a waiting Marie Laverty. Suddenly Loughgiel were 3-06 with two minutes gone in the second half. McCormick would improve the Shamrock’s position with two back to back frees before Cushendall’s Amy McAlister pointed to bring the Dall back into the game. And back they came with three fine points from Eva McNeill.
Annie Lynn would close Loughgiel’s account with a point and very little left on the clock but just enough for Eva McNeill to drop in a free on the dugout side of Fr. Healy Park. The steep descending sliotar bounced in off a Shamrock, giving Cushendall a goal just before the long whistle brought the game to a close.
Loughgiel now go through to a twelfth final against the semi final winner of another Dunloy v Cushendall encounter on Sunday 28th September. Cushendall will hope to go one better in that match, remembering that Dunloy had a narrow win of two points at home in round four. That will be an exciting game to watch!
Loughgiel starters and scorers
Emma McAlister, Maria Lynn, Katie Lynn, Finvola McVeigh, Lucia McNaughton, Emma McFadden, Clare McKillop, Amy Boyle, Anna Connolly, Kirsty McKendry 1-00, Roísín McCormick 0-04 (2f), Katie McKillop 0-02, Caitrin Dobbin 0-02, Orlagh Laverty, Marie Laverty 2-00, Annie Lynn 0-01
Cushendall starters and scorers
Orlagh Burke, Anna McNeill, Caoimhe McNaughton, Tamara Black, Aoife McClafferty, Abi McNeill, Laura Black, Cara O’Boyle, Dervla Cosgrove, Kady McNeill, Eva McNeill 1-05 (4f, 1×45), Laura McMullan, Brogan Abram 0-01, Orlaith McAlister, Amy McAlister 0-01
To see more photos from today’s game, click on the following link to the album…
https://myalbum.com/album/LeVorPYe9WqmdZ/?invite=bd1d6beb-639d-4dc5-b720-4325bfb93606