Ulster Senior Camogie Schools
Corn Uan Uladh – Semi Final
St Patrick’s Maghera 3-11 St Killian’s, Garron Tower 2-7
Monday 15 December
Brendan McTaggart reports from Lavey
A brilliant start and strong performance from Emma Quinn was enough for St Pat’s to reach the Corn Uan Uladh Final on Monday evening but they were made to fight for the full hour by a gallant St Killian’s side.
Seven points separated the sides with Quinn top scoring with eight white flags while majors came from lightning inside forward Aoibh Mulholland and Swatragh duo Aoife McWilliams and Marie Therese McCullagh.
After a start that was borderline catastrophic for the ‘Tower, they were left indebted to goal keeper Laoiseach McNaughton who pulled off a string of saves and was assured under the dropping ball in testing conditions.
Eva McNeill was once again immense at the heart of the St Killian’s defence and top scored with 1-5. Anything coming from an attacking sense from St Killian’s came from their centre half while Cliodhna Thompson was always a handful up front. She would finish with 1-2 for her hours work and her move further out the field in the second half gave them a stronger attacking position but St Pat’s always had an upper hand. Midfield duo Orla McCartney and McCullagh worked tirelessly throughout while the direct running of Brannagh Brolly was causing the St Killian’s back six plenty of problems.
With the temperature showing not much above zero at the south Derry venue and a freezing fog hovering, it was the Maghera girls who started on fire. Laoiseach McNaughton had denied Aoibh Mulholland with a super save in the first attack of the game but St Pat’s constant pressure finally yielded the opening goal of the game through MT McCullagh.
The St Pat’s pressure continued with Emma Quinn’s accuracy from placed ball unerring. Three points in as many minutes from placed ball had St Pat’s 1-3 to no score up after seven minutes and any St Killian’s attacks were in scarce supply.
The second St Pat’s goal came in the 12th minute, Aoibh Mulholland getting on the end of a lovely pass from Bolly before finding the bottom corner. Nine points up and it was all one way traffic, it looked like it was going to be a long evening for the St Killian’s girls.
Eva McNeill opened their account with an accurate ’45 only for a brace of scores to follow from Aoibh Mulholland and Emma Quinn. Quinn’s effort a brilliant score, instinctive and accurate despite being under pressure.
McNeill split the uprights in the 17th minute before Cliodhna Thompson found the back of the St Pat’s net. McNeill delivered the sliotar high to the edge of the square and when it broke loose, Thompson was first to react and managed to find the far corner of the net, throwing St Killian’s a lifeline.
Orla McCartney and McNeill (’45) swapped white flags in the time that remained to leave the half time score 2-6 to 1-3 in the Maghera schools favour.
St Killian’s were fastest out of the traps in the second half and had the opening two scores of the half inside five minutes. Thompson and McNeill (free) as the ‘Tower played with more aggression and intensity. St Pat’s responded with a brace of points from Orla McCartney and Emma Quinn (free) but a second St Killian’s goal brought them back to within three in the 44th minute. Eva McNeill sending the sliotar into the danger area but it took a wicked bounce and deceived Orlaith Johnston between the sticks to leave just three between the sides.
That goal seemed to sting the Maghera school into life again. They saw goal chances come and go from Emma Quinn and Brannagh Brolly with a mix if heroic defending and brave goal keeping from Laoiseach McNaughton keeping them in the game but a run of 1-2 inside three minutes all but ended the game.
Points from placed ball by Emma Quinn came either side of their third goal, Aoife McWilliams getting her shot away under pressure to put eight between the sides with six minutes remaining.
St Killian’s continued to try and carve a way through the St Pat’s defence but points from Thompson and McNeill was all they managed while almost fittingly, Emma Quinn had the final say of the fame with her eighth point of the game.
St Pat’s progress to a meeting with Cross and Passion in the New Year while St Killian’s are left to rue the opening quarter and what might have been.
TEAMS
ST KILLIANS: Laoiseach McNaughton; Michaela McLaughlin, Maeve McAlister, Laoise McCollam; Keira McLaughlin, Erin McNaughton, Emer McCann; Leona Gillan, Tamara Black; Sorcha Carey, Eva McNeill, Aibrean Campbell; Anna O’Kane, Cliodhna Thompson, Niamh McCollam
Scorers: E McNeill 1-5 (3f, 2 ‘45’s); C Thompson 1-2
ST PATRICKS: Orlaith Johnston; Isabelle Martin, Ellie Griffin, Gracie Mae Bradley; Orla McKenna, Aoife McWilliams, Lucy McKaigue; Orla McCartney, Marie Therese McCullough; Brannagh Brolly, Emma Quinn, Ciara O’Loughlin; Rose Quinn, Aoibh Mulholland, Aoibheann O’Loughlin
Scorers: E Quinn 0-8 (6fs, 1 ’45); A Mulholland 1-1; MT McCullough 1-00; A McWilliams 1-00; O McCartney 0-2
Referee: Ryan O’Reilly (Glenravel)
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