All Ireland Under 23 Camogie Championship – Tier 2

Antrim 2-10 | Limerick 1-12

In a staggering display of resilience and stamina, Antrim secured their place in the All-Ireland U23B Camogie Championship final with a breathless, last-gasp victory over Limerick in Trim, Co Meath.

What makes the Saffrons’ one-point victory truly remarkable is that half of the squad had already lined out just 48 hours prior, helping the Antrim seniors secure an Ulster final victory over Down in Toome on Friday evening. Exhaustion, however, was nowhere to be seen when it mattered most.

Despite the quick turnaround from Friday’s senior clash, Antrim burst out of the gates. Midfielder Cara O’Boyle opened the scoring, and Dunloy teenager Éobha McAllister quickly added two more, giving Antrim a 0-3 to 0-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Though Limerick’s Carla Griffin pulled one back, McAllister immediately answered by driving through the defence for the game’s opening goal. Ten minutes later, Clíona Griffin—another player who featured in Friday’s senior final—rattled the net for Antrim’s second goal, establishing a commanding 2-3 to 0-3 lead.

Limerick, who had beaten Antrim in the round-robin series in Cushendun early in the campaign, refused to fold. They chipped away at the deficit before halftime and came out firing in the second period. Points from Griffin, Donna Kenny, Sarah O’Brien, and Laura Southern brought the Shannonsiders level by the 40th minute.

McAllister temporarily restored Antrim’s advantage, hitting three of the next four points, but the momentum had shifted. In the 50th minute, Limerick substitute Amy Burke found the net to give her side the lead for the first time. Points followed from Kenny and Southern which left Antrim trailing by three, 1-12 to 2-6 with just two minutes of normal time remaining. The Saffrons’ All-Ireland dreams appeared to be fading rapidly.

However just as their goose looked cooked, the Saffrons dug deep into their reserves for a miraculous final three-and-a-half minutes:

Substitute Cara Burns sparked the revival, slotting a crucial point to breathe new life into the Saffron challenge.

Éobha McAllister, whose never say die attitude is such a major part of her play, capped off a phenomenal individual performance as she fired over two rapid-fire points deep into added time to level the game.

Extra time appeared to be on the cards but in the dying seconds, Elen McIntosh became the hero, grabbing a dramatic winner just before the referee’s final whistle, sparking ecstatic celebrations among the Antrim players and traveling support.

The player of the match award must go to Eobha McAllister, the   Dunloy teenager’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. Less than 48 hours after scoring 1-2 for the seniors, McAllister was the undisputed star in Trim. She tallied an incredible 1-7 (with all but two points coming from play), proving exactly why she is rated as one of the brightest young talents in the game.

Antrim’s incredible late surge sets up a highly anticipated final clash in two weeks against Wexford. The Leinster side booked their own spot in the final with a 2-10 to 1-6 victory over Clare in the other semi-final.

Teams and Scorers

Antrim:

• Starting XV: O. Johnston; E. Coulter, A. O’Donnell, D. Dobbin; S. O’Neill, K. Molloy (capt.), C. Crawford; S. Heggarty, C. O’Boyle (0-1); A. Ferris, O. McAllister, É. McAllister (1-7, 0-2f); C. Griffin (1-0), E. McIntosh (0-1), J. McIntosh.
• Substitutes: C. Burns (0-1) for A. Ferris, L. Black for C. Crawford.

Limerick:

• Starting XV: C. Mulqueen; T. Dore, C. O’Riordáin, C. Ryan; C. Griffin (0-3, 1f), E. Woulfe, E. O’Donovan (0-1); E. O’Halloran (0-1), C. Power; C. Curtin (0-1), L. Boylan, D. Kenny (0-2f); E. Hession (0-1), S. O’Brien (0-1), L. Southern (0-2).
• Substitutes: A. Burke (1-0) for C. Griffin.