Feis na nGleann
Senior Camogie Final
Cushendall 3-23 Loughgiel 1-9
Sunday 5 July
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Cushendall recorded a resounding victory over Loughgiel on Sunday afternoon to take the Feis crown for the first time in their history. While the Ruairi ladies were good in the first half, they were awesome in the second as they blitzed a depleted Loughgiel side.
Eva McNeill was tormentor in chief for the ‘Dall, recording an eye opening 1-12 over the hour with 1-5 of that coming in the final 10 minutes of the contest. Brogan Abram and Kady McNeill grabbed the other goals for Cushendall with Orlaith McCurry, Abi McNeill and Dervla Cosgrove all playing starring roles.
The Shamrocks were without many of their first team players given the match was played just 24 hours after the wedding of Lucia McNaughton, and many of the team that started had journeyed back from the wedding that morning to line out for their club. However they had plenty of strong performers. Marie Laverty in particular was excellent and carried a serious threat with her direct running. Louise and Katie McKillop always looked lively but they were up against a white and maroon juggernaut.
Cushendall were on top from the first whistle and were four points to one clear after the opening 10 minutes. Siobhan McKillop, Brogan Abrams and Eva McNeill (two) with the Cushendall scores while Anna McKillop recorded the opening score for the Shamrocks.
A brace of Marie Laverty frees brought Loughgiel to within a single score by the 15th minute but that was as good as it got for the Shamrocks.
Eva McNeill added another point before Abram struck the opening goal of the final. Her floated effort into the danger area was misjudged by Emma McAllister in the Loughgiel goal and dropped over the line. Further scores followed from Siobhan McKillop and Cliodhna Thompson to stretch the Cushendall lead to eight points with six minutes of the half remaining.
Points from Marie Laverty either side of an Eva McNeill free were followed by scores from Cara O’Boyle and Abram in first half injury time. Abram taking her tally to 1-2 for the half with her second point a highlight of the opening 30 minutes, splitting the uprights from wide on the right and next to no angle to work with.
With the score 1-12 to 0-6 in Cushendall’s favour, Loughgiel needed a fast start to the second half. What they got was a wall of attacks from Cushendall from the get go. Eva McNeill opened the scoring from a free before Kady McNeill produced a moment of magic with her first touch of the second half. Abram delivered the sliotar high into the danger area and Kady deflected the sliotar to the back of the net with a brilliant touch in mid-air. A piece of genius that ignited the Ruairi’s into a higher gear.
The lead was stretched to 15 points when Cushendall were awarded a penalty, Orlaith McCurry upended by Charlene Campbell when through on goal. Eva McNeill took the resulting penalty but her effort was well saved by Emma McAllister.
Cushendall did add further brace of scores from Cosgrove (one ’45) before scoring their third goal of the contest. Emma McAllister’s attempted clearance was blocked by Eva McNeill and the sliotar went to the back of the net.
It took until the 22nd minute of the second half for the Shamrocks to add to their half time tally, Marie Laverty splitting the uprights from a free to try and break the Cushendall momentum.
Laverty and Eva McNeill traded frees before McNeill hit four points in as many minutes to add further gloss to the score board for the Ruairi’s.
The Loughgiel goal came in injury time at the end of the game, Marie Laverty’s free deceiving the Cushendall defenders on the line and dropping behind the line but it did little to paper over the cracks of a disappointing afternoon for the Shamrock camogs.
Substitute Amy McAllister rounded off the scoring in injury time as Cushendall ran out comfortable winners.
With the league title in their hands, this could be the first of three major trophies going the way of the Ruairi Og camogs this season. There will have tougher tests later in the year and there’s no doubting Loughgiel will be coming again with a much but on the evidence of this performance, Cushendall will take some stopping.
TEAMS
Cushendall starting XV: Orlagh Burke; Laoise McCollam, Anna McNeill, Tamara Black; Aoife McClafferty, Abi McNeill, Laura Black; Dervla Cosgrove, Siobhan McKillop; Brogan Abram, Orlaith McCurry, Cara O’Boyle; Cliodhna Thompson, Eva McNeill, Kady McNeill
- Subs: Rhianna Black for S McKillop (HT), Ellen Leech for C O’Boyle (53), Amy McAllister for C Thompson (53), Aimee McDonnell for L McCollam (57), Erinmae Mitchell for E McNeill (60+4)
- Scorers: E McNeill 1-12 (6fs), B Abram 1-2, D Cosgrove 0-3 (1f, 1’45), K McNeill 1-00, S McKillop 0-2, O McCurry 0-1, C O’Boyle 0-1, C Thompson 0-1, A McAllister 0-1
Loughgiel starting XV: Emma McAllister; Charlene Campbell, Megan McGarry, Aoibheann Gillan; Finvola McVeigh, Katie Lynn, Sarah Flavin; Orlagh Laverty, Laoise McKillop; Kirsty McKendry, Marie Laverty, Katie McKillop; Anna McKillop, Annie Lynn, Caela Dobbin
- Subs: Rose McMullan for M McGarry (17), Carlina Sullivan for C Campbell (44), Shanna Devlin for K McKendry (47)
- Scorers: M Laverty 1-8 (1-6fs), A McKillop 0-1
Referee: Lee O’Reilly (Dunloy)
TO SEE MICHAEL CORCORAN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
https://myalbum.com/album/yQph27t6tyS7yZ/?invite=28ee4748-a365-441a-b783-9f3a54d102e8
To see more of Brendan’s photos from the final, click on the link below….
https://myalbum.com/album/qbVaL6Pyz3hesU/?invite=b9915422-fc53-469b-bcb3-d72a87435910