Ulster Ladies Gold Minor Final  

 Antrim 1-10  

Cavan 3-15  

Cavan collected their fourth Ulster Minor title when they outscored a battling Antrim in an excellent Ladies Gold Minor final in Silverbridge on Saturday. The Breffni Girls were excellent throughout but the final result should have been much closer with Antrim missing a number of goal scoring opportunities over the hour.

Caragh Reilly in the Cavan goals pulled off a number of excellent save while the woodwork came to Cavan’s rescue while the Cavan defence were excellent as the Saffron’s fought hard to get back into the game.

Antrim started without their influential midfielder Aoife Kelly and missed their chances while Cavan were inspired by a superb central spine of Sinead Kelly, Sophie Daly, Emma Tolan and Ellie Brady and were better at taking their chances when the opportunities arose.

Cavan dominated the first half and led 2-9 to 0-3, the three Antrim points coming in quick succession from the talented Ciara Maguire through their best spell of the half but Erin Stewart was unlucky not to find the net and they also tested the woodwork. Tolan’ s early goal had set Cavan up while Emma McIntyre and Sarah Clarkes penetrating runs created the space as Livingstone and Galligan tagged on points.  

Just when Antrim looked like closing the gap McIntyre crashed home her side’s second goal after good work from Daly and Caoimhe Halpin. Daly, Tolan and Livingstone added points before the break.  

Cavan started the second half strongly and extended their lead through Eabha Hayes and Brady points to move fourteen points ahead but Antrim found a response. Their skipper Sarah O’Neill led the way with Clodhna Logan and nippy attacker Leah Stewart came more into the game and as the contest entered the final quarter the Saffrons were right back in it with three points on the bounce.  

The gap though was too much however as they battled for every ball and the teams ran their benches too. Talented Sinead Livingstone hit 1-1 for Cavan but in reality they should have been further ahead as Tolan closed in on goal twice but fluffed her chances on both occasions. At the other end though, Logan, who had a fine half, fired to the Breffni net with a good finish to leave it 3-12 to 1-7 with seven minutes left.  

Maguire added further Antrim points while the diminutive Stewart was a real thorn in the Cavan side and although the damage was long inflicted Antrim never gave up and deserve real credit for their character and commitment through a much improved half.  

The missed chances were to prove costly in the end for them but these girls have a bright future with Sarah O’Neill the player of the match while Maguire top scored for them although on the day there was no doubting about the Cavan quality.  

A new look Cavan side but the usual outcome as in recent years for their Manager Padraig Sheridan as it finished 3-15 to 1-10  

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Group Two

Antrim 1-11 Carlow 1-11

A never say die attitude by Carlow saw them claw their way back to share the points in the opening round of the All Ireland Intermediate Championship round robin game at Ahoghill on Saturday. With just two minutes of normal time still to play the Saffrons held a three point lead and they appeared to be on course for an opening day win, but Carlow would not give up the fight and they threw everything into attack over the last four minutes.

Rebecca Kelly grabbed a poc-out from goalkeeper Aine Graham and fired over from 40 metres to start the comeback. Suddenly the momentum was with the visitors and Cavanagh’s fellow midfielder Eleanor Tracey carried the fight to Antrim as she sent over two more points to tie the game at 1-11 apiece. The result keeps both teams in line for qualification, but with Derry seniors in the same group, who will be short odds favourites to qualify out of it, the margins are very narrow.

With a strong breeze in Antrim’s favour for the first half and they went in at the break leading 1-8 to 0-6 with Dervla Cosgrove accounting for seven of the points, six from frees while Maria Bakewell got the goal after a low shot by Cosgrove had come back off the base of the post.

With Antrim holding the visitors to just a point in the first twenty minutes of the second half it looked like Bakewell’s goal was crucial. When Antrim still had three points to spare with time almost up the win appeared to be sowed up, but Carlow never gave up the fight and their efforts were rewarded with a share of the spoils.

Antrim: M Bakewell (1-0), D Cosgrove (0-9, 8 frees), A McNeill and O Laverty (0-1) each.

Carlow: C Cody (1-2), E Treacy (0-5, 3 frees), R Kelly, E Lawlor, E Doyle and H Wall (0-1) each.

Antrim: Á Graham, M McKinley, C Kearney, E Traynor, C Crawford, E McMullan, Brónach Magill, A McNeill, F McIntosh, O Laverty, Bríd Magill, E McInrosh, D Cosgrove, M Bakewell, N Neeson.

Subs: S Fyfe for M Bakewell (38), C Laverty for E McMullan (43), C O’Boyle for E McIntosh (44), E Coulter for Brónach Magill (53), A Donnelly for N Neeson (54)

Carlow: Catherine Cavannagh, SJ Burke, M Nolan, L Nolan, A Breen, K Nolan, KG Murphy, R Kelly, E Tracey, Ciara Cavannagh, C Cody, N Minchin, E Ellis, E Lawlor, E Doyle.

Subs: A Murphy for E Lillis (HT), H Wall for E Doyle (38), T Wall for N Minchin (54)

Referee: P McDonnell (Cavan)

St Clare Cup final:

St Patrick’s Maghera 8-9 Cross & Passion Ballycastle 0-2

ST Patrick’s Maghera proved too strong for CPC in Friday’s St Clare Cup final at Slemish Park Ballymena as the school completed a clean sweep of Ulster A Camogie titles in impressive fashion.

With Aoife McWilliams, Eimear Conway and Emma Quinn controlling the game around the middle of the park St Pat’s were in control from the start, Quinn opening the scoring from a free and then added a goal to put the Derry girls in control

They went on to lead by 3-6 to 0-1 at half-time, Grace Diamond adding the other two goals, and things could have been worse had it not been for a few excellent saves by CPC goalkeeper Molly McToal.

Diamond completed her hat-trick ten minutes into the second half, after full-forward Éadaoin Doherty had scored the fourth Maghera goal.

CPC battled hard but they were outpaced throughout the field by a slick Maghera team whose dominance of Ulster Colleges Camogie has reached new heights.

St Patrick’s: G Diamond (3-0), E Diamond (2-0), E Quinn (1-5, 0-4 frees), É Bradley (1-0), E Doherty (1-0), E Conway (0-2, 1 frees), G McCartney (0-1), R McAtamney (0-1).

CPC: C Thompson (0-2 frees)

St Patrick’s: Karen Birt, Isobel Martin, Aoibheann McLaughlin, Gracie Mae Bradley, Brianna Donaghy, Aoife McWilliams capt., Nuala McKenna, Eimear Conway, Emma Quinn, Grace McCartney, Rionnach McNally, Roisin McAtamney, Ciara O’Loughlin, Éadaoin Doherty, Grace Diamond 

Subs: Emer Kearney for C O’Loughlin, Eva Diamond for E Doherty, Rhiona Scullin for GM Bradley, Rachel Lagan for N McKenna, Éadaoin Bradley for G Diamond

Cross & Passion: Molly McToal, Ciara Breen, Graci Cassley, Caoimhe Bateson, Catherine McGarry, Caoimhe McGarry, Bríd O’Kane, Adria McAllister, Louise McBride, Fiadh Sands, Tegan Cassidy, Eimear McCaughan, Rose McMullan, Cliodhna Thompson, Carragh McKinley

Subs: Áine Franey for G Cassley,

Referee: Sean McGuigan

Davitt’s Cup final

St Patrick’s College, Maghera  4-4   St Mary’s, Magherafelt 2-3

A GOAL from a scramble in the Magherafelt area ten minutes from the end of this tense Davitt’s Cup final in Lavey on Wednesday was enough to see St Patrick’s Maghera retain their title.

Orla McKenna was the player to get the last touch as the sliotar bobbled around the St Mary’s goal area and that kick-started 90 seconds of an onslaught from Maghera that took them out of sight.

Saoirse McCullagh pointed from the poc out. From a second poc out Rose Quinn raced through to fire high into the net and Quinn then added a free. Magherafelt pushed into attack, but Maghera filtered back and held out for victory.

Up until that point however, the Convent looked the more likely winner. Their defence was solid around full-back Córa McPeake and the forwards utilised the space up front to take a 1-3 to 0-0 lead into the break.

The goal was a real solo effort from Grace McCloskey in the 13^th minute with Cliodhna Moore a big threat on the break, scoring two excellent points.

Maghera didn’t score until four minutes into the second half when sub Caoimhe Doherty found the net with her first touch. Five minutes later a goal from Rose Quinn edged them into a lead that lasted just three minutes.

That was how long it took Magherafelt to go 2-3 to 2-2 ahead through a 40 metres free from Gráinne Doherty that went all the way to the net. Magherafelt remained on the attack over the next ten minutes, but couldn’t add to their total and Maghera then snatched their chance.

St Patrick’s: R Quinn (2-1, 0-1 free), C Doherty (1-0), O McKenna (1-0), S McCullagh (0-2), E Scullion (0-1)

St Mary’s: G Doherty (1-1 frees), G McCloskey (1-0), C Moore (0-2)  

Year Schools Camogie – Davitt Cup

St Pat’s Maghera and St Mary’s Magherafelt will contest the Year 8 Camogie final for the Davitt Cup in Lavey on Wednesday at 1-30 after the two Derry schools came out on top in Monday’s round robin sessions at Slemish Park Ballymena.

CPC topped the group with St Mary’s in second place, so in the semi-finals St Pat’s played St Louis Ballymena, while St Mary’s took on CPC. With both Derry schools successful it was decided to move Wednesday’s final to Lavey, instead of Ballymena, which had been the original plan.