St Teresa’s claimed the Fr Mullan Plate 1 honours with a convincing 7-06-0-04 win over Sarsfields at Pairc Naomh Úna on Sunday morning.
It took six minutes for the opening score to arrive in the form of a Cristior McCabe point and moments later he turned provider as Cayden Devlin palmed a high ball to the net.
Sarsfields were off the mark midway through the opening half, thanks to a converted Charlie Kennedy free, but McCabe instantly restored his sides four-point advantage.
Kennedy kicked his second free of the half, though St Teresa’s extended their lead at the other end.
Stiofan Matthews cut in at the by-line and floated in a high ball that Sarsfields were unable to deal with as Darragh McDonald thumped to the top corner to make it 2-02-0-02.
The Paddies almost hit back with a goal of their own before the break, however Dara Ward’s free was pushed over the bar by St Teresa’s keeper Ethan McErlean.
Instead, St Teresa’s would score a third goal before the break to give the Paddies a mountain to climb.
Kyle Markey got to the kick-out and switched to Cayden Devlin and he fired in his second goal of the half.
A late double from Cristior McCabe further stretched their lead as St Teresa’s were 3-04-0-03 ahead at the interval.
The gap widened further within the first ten minutes of the second period, Gerard Delaney burst towards goal and blasted to the net within sixty-seconds of the resumption.
McCabe then drove forward and rattled the underside the bar with a fierce shot that was steered home by Conor Joseph Barkley.
On a rare fore forward, Sarsfields hit back through a Jonathon Scullion-Flynn point, though Darragh McDonald had a shot pushed over the bar at the other end.
Goal number six arrived past the midway point in the second half and Gerard Delaney claimed his second of the morning, rifling high into the roof of the net.
The T’s weren’t finished as talisman Cristior McCabe added his fifth point and two minutes from time sent a low shot into the corner of the net to seal a convincing 7-06-0-04 win at the conclusion.
A strong first half showing saw Rossa claim the Fr Mullan Shield with a 3-06-1-06 win over St Pat’s Lisburn at MacRory Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Shaws Road outfit played with a strong breeze in the opening half and racked up 1-05 without reply.
Conor Stewart swung over the opening point within the first minute and Cillian Carabine then swept a fine shot over.
Their lead was extended when Codhran O’Rourke popped over and Addison Morris then dropped a high shot over the bar.
Midway through the half Cillian Carabine linked up with Lorcan Cunningham whose shot flashed to the net to give his side a 1-05-0-00 lead.
O’Rourke extended the lead with a point after Andrew McLornan had scrambled his goal-bound effort off the line.
St Pat’s hit back three minutes before the break after Oliver Fay powered through and rifled to the net.
In response, Morris doubled his account for the half and Caolan Mullan then shot in his sides second goal to give them a 2-06-1-00 advantage.
A converted Hugo Twnete free cut the deficit, but at the break Rossa were in control and on course for victory.
Despite playing against the breeze in the second half it was Rossa who moved further ahead for their third goal of the afternoon and second from Lorcan Cunningham with a shot that dropped underneath the crossbar and in.
Lisburn rallied in the closing stages and kicked the final five scores without reply. Archie Grimley ended a 16-minute scoreless period and Adam Jain then popped the ball over the bar.
Hugo Twnete doubled his personal account for the afternoon from play and would add two further points before the game was out.
He converted his second free of the afternoon and then dropped over another from range as Rossa ran out 3-06-1-06 winners at the conclusion.
The opening minutes set the tone for what was to come in a thrilling Fr Mullan Cup final on Sunday morning between St Galls and St Brigid’s at Pairc Naomh Úna
Ronan Niblock popped over the opening score inside the opening sixty seconds and a converted Padraig Kelly free had St Galls off a perfect start. St Brigid’s halved the deficit when Garrett Finnegan switched to James Morrisey to hit back.
Both sides then registered goals within a minute of each other, Finn Smyth played a delightful pass that Jude May ran onto, and he rifled low into the back of the net to give his side a 1-02-0-01 lead.
It was short-lived though when Senan McMahon guided a shot into the corner of the St Galls net in response.
The Milltown outfit re-established their earlier two-point advantage when Padraig Kelly kicked his first from play, though Paddy McAteer took a lay-off from Rory Magee and split the posts.
Pre-match favourites St Brigid’s forged ahead on the 11th minute, Dan McAuley hung up a shot that dropped into the path of James Morrisey to sweep a shot to the net and give his side a 2-02-1-03 advantage.
A further point from Aidan Holmes extended their lead, with St Galls ending a 13-minute scoring period when Padraig Kelly found Conan Mulligan to float a shot over.
Morrisey dropped over his second point of the half, and he followed that up with a second goal before the break, flashing a low effort beyond Eoin Rogers reach to make it 3-04-1-04.
Points were traded before the break with Sean Doran narrowing the deficit, but Rory Magee converted a free with the last action of the half as St Brigid’s were in the ascendancy at the midway point.
St Galls began the second half brightly and halved the deficit when Conan Mulligan laid the ball off to Finn Smyth – whose shot squeezed past Dara McMullan.
Aidan Holmes responded for St Brigid’s, who would extends their interval lead with a further goal and two point without reply.
James Morrisey claimed his hat-trick after Eoin Rogers could only partially clear a high ball towards his goal and the corner-forward steered the loose ball home.
Further scores followed through Garrett Finnegan and Rory Magee (free) as their side were 4-08-2-05 to the good.
A converted Padraig Kelly free would be the first of three unanswered St Galls scores, Kelly also kicked a 45’ and Jack Owens clipped over from play to reduce arrears.
With five minutes remaining St Brigid’s looked to be safe with Holmes and Dara McAuley pointing to widen the gap to eight.
St Galls refused to throw in the towel and when Finn Smyth dropped a high ball into the square, Ronan Niblock seized the ball and slotted home to make it 4-10-3-08.
The Milltown men were in need of another major to set-up a grandstand finish, though St Brigid’s held firm and Aidan Holmes kicked the final point of proceedings as St Brigid’s ran out 4-11-3-08 winners at the conclusion to lift the Fr Mullan Cup.
St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass advanced into another Antrim Senior Championship final as they recorded a runaway victory over St. Joseph’s Glenavy in a one sided semi-final on Sunday.
The Chapel Hill girls have enjoyed a good season themselves and the former Ulster Junior finalists gave it everything against their more accomplished opponents but the gap between the Marian Hill side and the rest of the pack shows little sign of closing.
Moneyglass raced into a 2-7 to 0-3 half time lead with goals from Katie McCloskey and Jo Jo Darragh and even at this stage it was hard to see St. Joseph’s staging a comeback.
The reigning Antrim champions would push on to add a further three majors in the second half with Katie McCloskey, Jo Jo Darragh and Leah Cassidy rattling the Glenavy net as they pushed on to win convincingly.
It was Glenavy who were first off the mark when Eva Ramsey pointed them ahead in the 4th minute but two converted frees from Cathy Carey had St. Ergnat’s ahead by the 7th minute.
St. Joseph’s were giving it everything and Anna Rice and Megan McGarry had them back on terms by the 10th minute but it would prove to be their final score of the half.
Katie McCloskey’s goal in the 15th minute saw the Marian Hill side find another gear as Sarah O’Neill, Annie Griffin, Jo Jo Darragh and Cathy Carey added points and by half time the game looked out of reach of the Chapel Hill side.
By that stage they had moved seven ahead thanks to a second goal from Jo Jo Darragh and things would not get any better for St. Joseph’s after the break.
They did manage another three points from frees with Ellen Morgan leading the way with two and the other coming from Anna McStravick but there would be no let up from the Marian Hill side with places in the final up for grabs.
Jo Jo Darragh kicked three early points before Katie McCloskey got through for her second goal and her sides third and Cathy Carey 0-2 and Maria O’Neill added further points with Cassidy and Darragh adding late goals to seal a comprehensive victory for the reigning champions.
They will meet St. Brigid’s in the final after they defeated St. Paul’s in the other semi-final at Musgrave Park in a real cracker that was in the balance until late in the game with St. Brigid’s emerging 1-11 to 1-10 winners in a great game of football.
Moneyglass: 1 Aine Devlin, 2 Niamh Neeson, 3 Niamh McIntosh, 4 Aoife Leahy, 5 Danielle Duffin, 6 Rebecca Bradley, 7 Danielle Connolly, 8 Sarah O’Neill, 9 Aoife Kelly, 10 Annie Griffin, 11 Maria O’Neill, 12 Cliona Griffin, 13 Cathy Carey, 14 KatieMcCloskey 15 Jo Jo Darragh, 21 Leah Cassidy
Glenavy: 1 Orlagh Mullin, 2 Aideen McCambridge, 3 Meabh Bradley, 4 Geraldine McCann, 5 Bronagh Forester, 6 Cathy Scannell, 7 Natasha O’Neill, 8 Eva Ramsey, 9 Anna Rice, 10 Anna McStravick, 11 Ellen Morgan, 12 Aoibhin Gormley, 13 Megan McGarry, 14 Aoibheann Monaghan, 15 Mary McStravick
Referee: Stephen Higgins (Tir na nOg)
TO VIEW ELAINE KELLY’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Antrim Camogie Intermediate Championship Semi Final
Dunloy v Loughgiel 29th September 2024
Dunloy 0-10 Loughgiel 2-07
Dobbin’s overhead smash proves a hit and sends Loughgiel through to the Intermediate final
Match report and photo album from Michael Corcoran at Páirc Mhic Uilín
When two teams are evenly matched, tipping the balance of power can come down to the basics. Dunloy and Loughgiel didn’t have daylight between them and today’s elements brought the game to the ground for the most part and it became a battle of the rucks, winner takes all. Challenging conditions seen catching and point scoring skills at a premium and as sliotars dropped dangerously short of the bar, both goalkeepers were overworked and were a credit to their squads.
From the whistle, Dunloy took the lead and in a low scoring first half, it would be twenty five minutes before Loughgiel pulled up alongside Dunloy at four points apiece. The Shamrocks would take the break with a goal from Orlagh Laverty at the last minute but a second half start from the Cuchullians seen them close the gap in six minutes and it would take Loughgiel another fourteen minutes to draw level at ten points apiece before Ceala Dobbin’s overhead smash on the twenty eighth minute crossed the line for the win.
Referee, Paul O’Neill, commenced the semi final game at the top of the hour on 3 o’clock, with Dunloy winning the toss to play towards the clubhouse and arguably into the south easterly breeze.
Both sides would send their first attempts to point wide of the posts within the first few minutes, but it would be Dunloy to point first as Mary McArthur turned over a Loughgiel puck out. Three minutes later, Dunloy had their first attempt at Loughgiel’s goal but goalkeeper Shauna McKillop deflected the sliotar, which was carried wide for the 45 leaving Dunloy’s Erin McMullan to secure second prize with her point.
McMullan would prove instrumental in Dunloy’s semi final challenge and offered up the sliotar from a short tap to a waiting Lisa McGuickian to take Dunloy three points up on the scoreboard.
With ten minutes gone, Loughgiel mounted an offensive that had Dunloy’s Kirsty McFerran taking flak from all angles, saving two of those on target to goal and eventually Loughgiel would pull their third attempt wide.
The Shamrock’s would return again to cause chaos at short range but McFerran had the better of the sliotar and it fell to Carlina Sullivan to rescue the point and have Loughgiel’s challenge underway on the scoreboard. Five minutes later points would flow from Caitie Connolly and on the twentieth minute, Caela Dobbin would get her first score of the match from a Laverty assist.
Both sides were level by now on three points apiece and within the next five minutes both teams’ left wing half forwards would point apiece before the game was stopped, with Loughgiel in possession, to allow Dunloy to attend to an injured player.
On commencement of play, Loughgiel’s indirect free was followed by three more frees from fouls with nothing to show for either side until Orlagh Laverty broke through towards McFerran’s goals and tapped the sliotar into the keeper’s upper right-hand side for Loughgiel’s first goal to take the game up to the short whistle at thirty two minutes on the clock.
The second half started well for Dunloy as they set about using the small advantage from the wind to drop in longer pucks into Loughgiel’s half. One of those puck outs found Mary McArthur, offloading to Clara Elliott with a shot on target but Shauna McKillop had the makings of it, but Dunloy would loop back around, this time with four points on the trot, two from Clara Elliott and one each from Dearbhail Elliott and Erin McMullan to bring both sides level again on eight points.
Dunloy now had inertia and dropped two more points over McKillop’s bar, coming from Clara Elliott and Mary McArthur, only for that inertia to be broken when Loughgiel’s Carlina Sullivan was fouled and Orlagh Laverty sent the resulting free effortlessly over the bar before recycling the puck out from Dunloy’s dugout on a solo run to striking distance and sent the sliotar over the bar for back to back points.
Dunloy still had a one point lead with twenty four minutes gone but Laverty was on shooting form into the cross wind and coasted a 45 over the bar to draw sides, but you sensed Loughgiel were now starting to get more of the sliotar behind Dunloy’s full back line as Ceala Dobbin persisted deep on the right of the pitch. It was just a matter of time before Dobbin moved away from her marker and avoiding a hook, smashed the sliotar overhead past McFerran. Although the sliotar came bouncing out, the umpire declared the sliotar was over the goal line and raised the green flag.
With just three minutes left, including two for injury, Dunloy were kept at bay around the centre of the pitch until O’Neill signaled the end of the game with the large ‘Myenergie’ scoreboard recording Dunloy 0-10 Loughgiel 2-07, putting Loughgiel through to the final encounter with Ahoghill in Portglenone in two weeks’ time.
Dunloy starting panel and scorers
Kirsty McFerran, Carragh Boyle, Clare McGuckian, Aimee Johnston, Annie Laverty, Eimear McMullan, Kyra Doherty, Lisa McConville, Micha Cunning, Mary McArthur 0-02, Dearbhail Elliott 0-01, Erin McMullan 0-03 (1f, 2×45), Clara Elliott 0-03, Kerry Rose Drain, Lisa McGuckian 0-01
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Photos from this evening’s game can be found by clicking on the album link here…
