Ulster Senior Camogie semi-final
Antrim 1-13 | Derry 1-3
Venue: Portglenone
Antrim secured their place in the Ulster Senior Camogie Final with a convincing 1-13 to 1-3 victory over Derry in Portglenone. While the final scoreline suggests a comfortable win for the Saffrons, it masks a fairly ordinary first half where neither team truly sparkled, and it wasn’t until the final ten minutes that Antrim hit their stride to pull away from their Oak Leaf rivals.
The game began with Derry applying intense early pressure and dominating possession. However, after missing a couple of initial opportunities, it was Antrim who opened the scoring with a point from full-forward Eobha McAllister.
Derry quickly turned their early momentum into a tangible reward when centre-forward Jackie Donnelly found space and fired home an excellent goal from an angled shot, giving the visitors a sudden two-point advantage. Surprisingly, despite this fantastic start, Derry would only manage to register one more score from open play for the remaining 58 minutes of the contest.
Antrim’s response to the goal was swift and composed. Midfielder Maeve Kelly slotted over a point following a smart pass from Katie McKillop, before McKillop herself split the posts to level the sides at 1-0 to 0-3. Nicole McAtamney then stepped up to land a long-range free, giving Antrim their first lead of the afternoon.
Derry managed to pull a point back through a ’45 from full-forward Carla Collins, but Antrim replied immediately with another score from the lively McKillop. Just as the half drew to a close, Antrim struck a critical blow. Corner-forward Cliona Griffin found the net with a well-taken goal after soloing in from the left wing to extend the Saffron lead. Derry’s Amy McKenna replied with a ’45 just before the whistle, leaving the halftime score at 1-5 to 1-2 in favor of the hosts.
Antrim emerged for the second half with renewed purpose, and Eobha McAllister quickly added to their tally with the opening point. Derry’s Cliodhna Ní Mhainain responded with a point—Derry’s solitary second-half score and their only other score from play all game. From that moment on, the Antrim defence, anchored by the likes of Katie Molloy and Caoimhe Conlon, completely shut down the Derry attack.
Despite Antrim’s general improvement in the second half, the game remained somewhat in the balance until the final ten minutes when their attacking unit finally clicked into high gear. Róisín McCormick got in on the action, scoring a fine point after being set up by McAtamney. The McAtamney-McAllister connection proved highly fruitful, with McAtamney turning provider once again to set up Eobha McAllister for another well-taken score.
McAllister was on fire in the closing stages, adding another point following a pass from Katie Molloy in the left corner. The Antrim forward line was relentless, drawing fouls that McAtamney calmly punished, converting both a 45-meter free and a standard ’45 to stretch the lead further. Eobha McAllister also won a penalty late in the game, but her shot was turned over the bar by the Derry kkeeper Niamh Gribben.
In injury time, Antrim continued to hunt for scores. Substitute Elen McIntosh and Róisín McCormick linked up beautifully to create a goal chance for McAllister, though her shot trailed wide. However, McCormick and McAllister would both find the target with excellent points from the right flank before the final whistle, sealing a commanding ten-point victory.
Antrim’s dominance in the closing stages, spearheaded by the scoring prowess of Eobha McAllister, the playmaking of Nicole McAtamney, and the steady presence of Katie McKillop, ultimately proved too much for a Derry side that struggled to translate their early promise into sustained attacking threat.
Antrim: 1. Becky Ellis, 2. Colleen Patterson, 3. Caoimhe Conlon, 4. Caoimhe Mc Naughton, 5. Clare Mc Killop, 6. Katie Molloy, 7. Shannagh Heggarty, 8. Amy Boyle, 9. Maeve Kelly, 10. Nicole Mc Atamney, 11. Róisín Mc Cormick, 12. Katie Mc Killop, 13. Janey Mc Intosh, 14. Eobha Mc Allister, 15. Cliona Griffin.
Derry: 1. Niamh Gribben, 2. Aoife Mc Guckin, 3. Eimear Mc Closkey, 4. Sinead Mc Gill, 5. Shauna Mc Guckin, 6. Rachel Mc Allister, 7. Aine Mc Gill, 8. Niamh Quinn, 9. Sinead Mellon, 10. Emma Wilson, 11. Jackie Donnelly, 12. Cliodhna Ní Mhainain, 13. Aoife Shaw, 14. Carla Collins, 15. Amy Mc Kenna.
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