The enduring juvenile strength of Ruairí Óg, Cushendall was out in full force at Dunloy, where they put on a clinical, goal-scoring showcase to claim the Under 16 Feis na nGleann Camogie title with a big win over Ballycastle. Cross- The game burst into life within a minute when Ruairí Óg forward Laoiseach McNaughton collected a quick pass and smashed it into the back of the net from open play. Elena McQuillan quickly added to the tally with a cleanly struck free at the three-minute mark, extending the early advantage.
Ballycastle struggled to push past the compact Cushendall defence early on, while Laoiseach McNaughton hit another beautiful point from play at six minutes to push the scoreline further. Ballycastle finally answered when a brilliant effort from play by Chloe Adams opened their account at nearly nine minutes in. Despite a brief reprieve when Elena McQuillan registered a wide from a free, Laoiseach McNaughton quickly resumed her lethal form, grabbing her second goal of the match at the twelve minute mark. Elena McQuillan added another converted free soon after, followed immediately by Laoiseach McNaughton completing an incredible first-half hat-trick at the fifteen-minute mark. Ballycastle tried to stay afloat with a fine point from play by Marina Callan, but late points from Ruairí Óg forward Cathryn McCormick and a fourth first-half goal from Laoiseach McNaughton effectively closed the contest before the break. A late point from Brónagh O’Neill for Ballycastle left the half-time score reading an imposing 4-5(17) to 0-3(3) in favor of the Dall.
Any hopes of a dramatic Ballycastle comeback after the restart were swiftly dampened when Elena McQuillan fired over another free early in the second half. Ballycastle did manage a moment of pure celebration when their hard-working forward, Marina Callan, struck a brilliant goal from play eight minutes in, bringing a spark to the travelling Mac Uílín support. Yet, Cushendall’s response was ruthless as Laoiseach McNaughton chipped over a point from play almost instantly. Then came a devastating two-minute blitz around the twenty-minute mark where midfielder Anna Birt drove forward to slot home a goal, closely followed by a clinical goal from play by Cathryn McCormick. McCormick added another point from play just minutes later, before the magical Laoiseach McNaughton capped off a truly legendary individual performance. Within a two-minute window late in the game, she hit the net two more times to take her personal goal tally to six. Fittingly, the final act belonged to Elena McQuillan, who sailed over a magnificent long-range point from a 45/65-meter free to seal a commanding victory.
Mac Uílín CLG (Ballycastle)
- Caoimhe O Connor
- Rose Black
- Madison Mcafee
- Maisie Mclernon
- Cliodhna McConvery
- Dervla Laverty
- Aoibhinn McGee
- Megan Connor
- Chloe Adams
- Brónagh O’Neill
- Dervla McCaughan
- Marina Callan
- Eilish Fairley
- Blathnaid McGee
- Orlaith O’Neill
- Ava Staunton
Ruairí Óg (Cushendall)
- Ellen McAlister
- Molly Delargy
- Lucia Trainor
- Ava Gettens
- Eleyna Madden
- Laoiseach McNaughton
- Emily Elliott
- Anna Birt
- Emma Lynn
- Elena McQuillan
- Aoife Molloy
- Saoirse Scullion
- Cathryn McCormick
- Caoimhe McDonnell
- Annie McNaughton
- Rachel McGroggan
- Rachel O’Neill
- Lauren McKay
- Gabriela McNeill
- Nicola Molloy
- Annie Trainor
- Nuala McNeill