Antrim Camogie IN2 Senior Championship

Ahoghill 0-04 Loughgiel 4-27

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran in McGuigan Park

Round three of five in the IN2 senior championship concluded tonight and there’s still time for a surprise or two before the semi final places form from the round robin table (1 will play 4 and 2 will play 3), but there wouldn’t be any surprises tonight in McGuigan Park. A spirited St. Mary’s squad engaged for the full sixty minutes and some in front of a small home crowd that cheered and praised the girls’ efforts in the face of strength, endurance and ability from tonight’s opposition, Loughgiel.

The game would never be about the final outcome, rather what each side would take from the game. Ahoghill showed up and made every effort to limit the Shamrock scoring machine, and Loughgiel will have used the game to instil the necessary good habits that will standby them in the next two rounds.

As soon as match referee, Sean McLaren from St. Pauls, rolled in under the rapidly dimming light augmented by Ahoghill’s floods, Marie Laverty broke for the early attack. It yielded no result but was an ominous sign of things to come. Amidst a flurry of points within the first four minutes, Laverty would return to raise the first green flag of the evening and remain a threat a minute later after receiving a ball from Anna Connelly stemming from Orlagh Laverty’s possession. With six minutes on the clock, Laverty made it two goals in two minutes and stepped aside to make room for Annie Lynn five minutes later for Loughgiel’s third goal in eleven minutes.

Amidst the goal scoring drama, Ahoghill replied with two fine points cut out of the darkening night air, the first one from Katie McCloskey and the second from Roisin Loughlin, but Loughgiel would press to deliver ball after ball into Ahoghill’s catch net, quickly dialling in a total of three goals and sixteen points at the break to Ahoghill’s three points, the latter coming from a set ball floated over the bar by Noreen Graham.

As McLaren set the wheels in motion for the second half, spectators would find it would be more of the same, but with opportunities to run out a few fresh legs off the bench. Just as Marie Laverty and Annie Lynn tormented Ahoghill’s full back line in the first half, so too would Orlagh Laverty and Shanna Deery in the second half, with a steady flow of set ball points from Róisin McCormick. Laverty would enjoy the fourth and final goal of the evening fed in from Lucia McNaughton who was responsible for germinating the lion’s share of assists.

Loughgiel now get ready for their fourth round match against Cushendall on Saturday and Ahoghill travel to Pearse Park to weather a probable storm from Dunloy on Sunday.

You can see more photos from tonights game under lights here…

https://myalbum.com/album/WsrZNfAkZgRmpo/?invite=f149eab6-ca64-4bf5-a028-fd2aa9a1e7f4

Ahoghill starting panel and scorers

Aine Graham, Niamh Dougan, Bronagh Graffin, Fiona Blaney, Niamh Neeson, Éadaoin McGarry, Orla Neeson, Caoimhe Scullion, Enya Neeson, Caitriona Graham, Katie McCloskey 0-01, Maeve O’Donnell, Noreen Graham 0-02 (1f), Roisin Loughlan 0-01, Molly Horan

Loughgiel starting panel and scorers

Emma McAllister, Charlene Campbell, Megan McGarry, Clare McKillop, Katie Lynn 0-01, Amy Boyle, Ciara Laverty, Anna Connolly, Lucia McNaughton 0-02, Christine McCloskey, Róisin McCormick 0-08 (1×45, 6f), Annie Lynn 1-05, Orlagh Laverty 1-02, Marie Laverty 2-04, Katie McKillop 0-03

Shanna Deery 0-02