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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Ultimate GAA Junior A Final

St. John’s 5-8 Loughgiel 0-9

St. John’s produced a first half goal blitz to overcome the challenge of Loughgiel Shamrocks in this Ultimate GAA Junior A Championship final in Cloney on Saturday evening.

It was Loughgiel who opened the scoring from a Caite Connolly ‘45’ in the 3d minute but when Eimhear Costello fired past Eimear McGivern for the Belfast side’s opening goal it was St. John’s who slowly gained control.

Initially though the Shamrock’s responded through a pointed free from Charley McCarry and another from play from Eva McGarry to level the contest by the 13^th minute and it looked like the North Antrim girls were taking control.

St. John’s replied through an Ellie Sweeney point with Roise McGarry tying the contest for the second time at the end of the opening quarter.

There wasn’t a lot between the sides at this stage but slowly the greater work rate and movement of the Whiterock girls began to pay dividends and Una Simpson pointed them ahead once more before striking with her side’s second goal in the 21^st minute.

Suddenly the Loughgiel defence looked vulnerable to the long delivery and Niamh Hamill took advantage of another defensive lapse as she finished to the net from close range two minutes later and the Corrigan Park side were flying.

There would be no let up for the Shamrocks in the period leading up to half time as the impressive Simpson raised her second Green flag but a Charley McCarry pointed free and another from play brought about a brief respite as the half time whistle sounded.

Loughgiel needed a good start to the second half if they were to claw back the ‘Johnnies’ lead but it was the City side who once again took control as the second half got underway.

Hannah McAllister, Aine Dudley and Ellie Sweeney struck early points as they brought an added energy to the contest and it was 14 minutes before Charley McCarry would open the Shamrock’s account from a free.

Eimhear Costello replied immediately with a great point for St. John’s as both sides rang the changes but it had little bearing on the final outcome as Ellie Sweeney moved the Whiterock side 12 ahead with ten minutes remaining.

Loughgiel were still fighting hard and their greatest scoring threat, Charley McCarry sent over an excellent point but it was goals that they needed and they just wouldn’t come.

Sarah Jane McGuigan had repelled a couple of attempts from the North Antrim attack and when the next goal came it was from St. John’s as Una Simpson set up Ellie Sweeney to end the game as a contest.

The Shamrocks were afforded one late opportunity when they were awarded a penalty but McGuigan in the St. John’s goals had little trouble in dealing with McCarry’s mishit shot with late exchanges by Ellie Sweeney for St. John’s and Alana McKendry for Loughgiel concluding the scoring.

A great performance from the Corrigan Park side whose pace and energy proved too much for the opposition while their ability to find the net late in the opening half proved decisive.

Sarah Jane McGuigan, Sarah Lagan, Helen Mead, Paula McGivern, Ellie Sweeney, Aide Dudley and Una Simpson were best in a St. John’s side who all played their part.

Loughgiel never really recovered from that late opening half blitz but in Ciara Connolly, Caite McCaughan, Anna McKillen, Eva McGarry and Charley McCarry they had good performers.

St. John’s:1 Sarah Jane McGuigan, 2Claire Morgan, 3 Sarah Lagan, 4 Eimear Johnston, 5 Carla Hamill, 6 Helen Mead, 21 Ceara Carleton, 8 Paula McGivern, 9 Hannah Mead, 10 Ellie Sweeney, 11 Aine Dudley, 12 Hannah McAllister, 13 Eimhear Costello, 14 Niamh Hamill, 15 Una Simpson

Subs: Lacy Saunders for Eimhear Costello, Sinead McAleavey for Hannah Mead, Holly Holden for Eimear Johnston, Grace O’Reilly for Una Simpson

Loughgiel: 1 Eimear McGivern, 2 Grace McLean, 3 Ciara Connolly, 4 Aoife Cunningham, 5 Caite McCaughan, 6 Anna McKillen, 7 Ciara Breen, 8 Katie Glackin, 9 Aoife McMullan, 10 Eva McGarry, 11 Alana McKendry, 12 Catie Connolly, 13 Roise McGarry, 14 Charley McCarry, 15 Catherine McGarry.

Subs: Erin McMullan for Roise McGarry, Rhiona McGarry for Aoife Cunningham, Erin McMullan, Cara Connolly, Caoimhe Bateson.

Referee: Ryan O’Reilly