IN2 Engineering Senior Camogie Championship Final

Dunloy 0-16 Cushendall 0-15

Sunday 11 October

Brendan McTaggart reports from Slemish Park, Ballymena

They left it late, very late, on Sunday afternoon but Dunloy bridged a 23 year gap to become camogie queens of the saffron county.  One point was the different at the end of a quite brilliant game of camogie where neither team truly deserved to lose.

Cushendall played their part in a game that was a fantastic advert for camogie within the county.  They had led for the vast majority of the game with the game being level on three occasions in a tense second half, always seemed to have the edge. 

But, cometh the hour and cometh the ‘woman’ and on this occasion it was Éobha McAllister.  With the game in the melting pot and the championship on the line, the Dunloy starlet came up clutch.  Perhaps fitting that she would hit the winning point given the year she has had for school, county and now club.

The Ruairi’s were immense with neither side sparing an inch.  Goal chances were at a premium, there weren’t many that stood out but it was the Cuchullains who showed a little more composure at the death.

Laura Black was once again immense along with Colleen Patterson and Caoimhe McNaughton while the work rate of the Cushendall forwards always meant the Dunloy defence couldn’t rest easy.

Katie Laverty was once again a star at the heart of the Dunloy defence while Brid Magill and Eilis Kearns were superb.  In a hard hitting game of camogie, it was a survival of the fittest in the final quarter that saw the Cuchullains comeback from the brink.

The opening 20 minutes of the final saw Cushendall start brightly to the point where they held a five point lead.  Eva McNeill firing over three frees while Kady McNeill, Cara O’Boyle and Dervla Cosgrove (free) also split the uprights.

Dunloy’s only score in that opening quarter came from an Éobha McAllister free while they had the bravery of Clodagh O’Kane to thank for keeping their clean sheet.  With Kady McNeill racing through, O’Kane met her and while the danger was averted, the Dunloy ‘keepers final was cut short and she was replaced by Aimiee Shirt.

The first score Dunloy scored from open play came in the 22^nd minute, Aine Magill evading Caoimhe McNaughton briefly before firing over.  Dunloy would register another two points in quick succession from Katie Molloy and Aine Magill to leave just two points between the sides with six minutes of the half remaining.

Kady McNeill fired over her second point of the point of the match before Dunloy had their first glance of the Cushendall goal.  A free from Nicole McAtamney dropped short and Aine Magill looked poised to find the back of the net.  The Cushendall defence scrambled before Orlagh Burke’s bravery denied Katie Molloy a certain goal chance.

Delight and devastation! Dunloy players dance with delight while Cushendall’s Dervvla Cosgrove sinks to her knees at the final whistle

Éobha McAllister converted the resulting ’45 with one minute of the 30 remaining.  Both sides registered two scores each in injury time with Cara O’Boyle and Eva McNeill (free) while Éobha McAllister (free) and Katie Molloy scored for the Cuchullains to leave the half time score 0-9 to 0-7 in Cushendall’s favour.

Dunloy started the second half on fire and had three points scored in the opening five minutes.  McAllister scoring a free and a ’45 while Caoimhe Molloy gave the Cuchullains the lead for the first time in the match.  Aine Magill tested the abilities of Orlagh Burke in the Cushendall goals during that same period of time but the Ruairi’s number one was equal to Magill’s effort.

That lead was short lived, however.  A trio of points fired them back into the lead with Eva McNeill with a brace of frees while Cara O’Boyle landed her third point of the final.

Dunloy were starting to go through the gears though and landed three of the next four points.  A brace of frees from McAllister and Aine Magill’s third point of the final came in response to a long range free from Dervla Cosgrove to leave the sides tied going into the final quarter.

Cushendall edged ahead once again in the 45^th minute with Eva McNeill’s seventh free of the final.  The Ruairi’s would only register one more score in the time that remained however with a mix of wides and disciplined Dunloy defending allowed the Cuchullains to turn the screw.

McAllister and Cosgrove swapped frees with Cushendall holding a slim lead going into the closing stages.  With Éobha McAllister landing her seventh free of the final in the last minute of the hour, all thoughts turned towards the possibility of a replay.

Éobha McAllister had the final say in the second of the allotted two minutes of injury time with a score worthy of winning any game in any county. 

Cushendall pushed looking for the equaliser but they ran out of time in the face of a resolute Dunloy defence.  The Cuchullains held on to break the Ruairi’s hearts and win their 12^th crown and first in 23 years.

TEAMS

Dunloy Starting XV: Clodagh O’Kane; Kathryn Boyle, Brid Magill, Katharine Mullan; Ellis Kearns, Katie Laverty, Caoimhe Conlon; Eimear Johnston, Bronach Magill; Nicole McAtamney, Caitlin Crawford, Caoimhe Molloy; Aine Magill, Katie Molloy, Éobha McAllister

Subs: Aimie Shirt for C O’Kane (5); Casey Crawford for C Crawford (HT); Sarah McIlhatton for K Boyle (40)

Scorers: É McAllister 0-10 (7f, 2’45); A Magill 0-3; K Molloy 0-2; C Molloy 0-1

Cushendall Starting XV: Orlagh Burke; Tamara Black, Anna McNeill, Caoimhe McNaughton; Colleen Patterson, Abi McNeill, Laura Black; Dervla Cosgrove, Siobhan McKillop; Rhianna Black, Orlaith McCurry, Cara O’Boyle; Kady McNeill, Eva McNeill, Orlaith McAlister

Subs: Amy McAlister for K McNeill (blood sub 13’, reversed 20’); Amy McAlister for R Black (48)

Scorers: E McNeill 0-7 (7f); D Cosgrove 0-3 (3f); C O’Boyle 0-3; K McNeill 0-2

Referee: Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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