IN2 Engineering Senior Camogie Championship
Group Stage
Match Day One
Dunloy 3-19 Ballycastle 1-9
Friday 21 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Dunloy
Dunloy got their championship off to a winning start of Friday evening as they saw off the dogged challenge of Ballycastle at Pearse Park. It took a second half hat-trick from Eobha McAllister to break the Town’s resolve as the visitors were well in this game going into the final quarter but once McAllister found the onion bag with her first, Dunloy finished strongly.
McAllister’s three goals came in a seven minute spell and during a period of the match where the Cuchullains kept Ballycastle from scoring for fully 15 minutes. Until those moments, Ballycastle were keeping the talented Dunloy attack at bay while Elen McIntosh was causing plenty of problems at the opposite end of the pitch.
The home side outscored Ballycastle 3-7 to 0-1 in the final quarter however to ensure they got off to a winning start in the senior championship.
Captain Katie Laverty elected to play against the elements with the wind blowing from the scoreboard end at Pearse Park directly down the pitch. Dunloy looked to make light of those conditions and settled quickly with Bronach Magill and Nicole McAtamney getting on the scoresheet.
Elen McIntosh fired over a brace of points either side of McAllister’s first of the game before the opening goal came in the 13th minute. It was Louise McBride who made the initial break from a ruck and had the presence of mind to find Elen McIntosh to her left. Dunloy ‘keeper Clodagh O’Kane came out and challenged McIntosh but the Ballycastle forward managed to squeeze the sliotar over the line.
The home side responded with a brace of points from McAllister and McAtamney to bring parity to the scoreline going in to the final 10 minutes of the half but the Town and Elen McIntosh finished strongly. She would tag on another four points – three from placed ball while McAllister responded with a brace at the opposite end to leave the half time score 1-6 to 0-7 in Ballycastle’s favour.
Two points wasn’t a massive lead given the wind blowing would be in the Cuchullains favour for the second half but Ballycastle started busily and were certainly making life difficult for Dunloy.
Louise McBride would extend the Ballycastle lead to three soon after the restart and while they wouldn’t score again until the 43rd minute, their work rate was keeping Dunloy in check.
The Cuchullains would fire over four points unanswered through McAllister, Caitlin Crawford and McAtamney (two frees) to take the lead before Elen McIntosh took her tally to 1-7 for the match midway through the second half.
Dunloy seemed to click into gear for the final quarter however. A trio of unanswered points from Crawford, McAllister and Bronach Magill stretched their lead to three points before McAllister’s opening goal.
Collecting the ball on the right hand side, McAllister showed impeccable footwork to go around her player before heading for goal. With a drop of her shoulder, she evaded the last challenge before finding the top corner.
Caoimhe Molloy and McAllister fired over points before the second Dunloy goal. McAtamney delivering a cross field ball before McAllister struck a venomous shot at goal. Ballycastle ‘keeper Becky Ellis managed to get her hurl on the shot but such was the force, the sliotar deflected over the line.
McAllister completed her hat-trick three minutes later when she got on the end of a move that involved McAtamney and Aine Magill but McAllister produced a deft touch to find the onion bag, making it three goals in seven minutes.
Elen McIntosh briefly halted the Dunloy charge with a free in the 59th minute but the home side added a further three points from Aine Magill, Molloy and McAtameny (free) to add further gloss to the scoreline for the Cuchullains.
Dunloy will go on their travels for their next group game when they will face Loughgiel on Saturday while the Town will hope for their first win of the campaign when they host Ahoghill.
TEAMS
Dunloy Starting XV: Clodagh O’Kane; Sarah McIlhatton, Brid Magill, Kathryn Boyle; Eilis Kearns, Katie Laverty, Caoimhe Conlon; Eimear Johnston, Katharine Mullan; Caoimhe Molloy, Caitlin Crawford, Bronach Magill; Eobha McAllister, Nicole McAtamney, Aine Magill
- Scorers: E McAllister 3-7 (2f); N McAtamney 0-5 (3f); C Molloy 0-2, C Crawford 0-2, B Magill 0-2; A Magill 0-1
Ballycastle Starting XV: Becky Ellis; Cara Delaney, Catherine McShane, Aoife Toner; Shannon McQuillan, Fay McIntosh, Shannagh Heggarty; Niamh Donnelly, Janey McIntosh; Fionnuala Toner, Maeve Kelly, Eimear McCaughan; Faye Roddy, Louise McBride, Elen McIntosh
- Scorers: E McIntosh 1-8 (5fs, 1’45); L McBride 0-1
Referee: Ryan O’Reilly (Con Magees)
TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PHOTOS FROM THE GAME, CLICK ON THIS LINK…
https://myalbum.com/album/5bGkbxa7EUdy5L/?invite=64950670-addc-4696-b0e5-62affb3593e4
