Antrim Camogie Senior Division 1 League

Loughgiel 6-24 Ahoghill 1-03

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran in Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel

With the glorious summer weather abating as the days tick by, tonight’s game in Fr. Healy Park brought us all back to earth with a chilly bump. A strong northerly breeze, keeping most spectators in their cars, hampered point scoring to some degree for the Shamrocks as they played from the club end. But that didn’t seem to bother them and instead Loughgiel focussed on goals for the better part of the first half, knowing the element would be on their backs later.

Many would have forecast a one sided affair for tonight’s game but a spirited Ahoghill squad dug deep and fought hard to limit the end result. Although the Shamrocks remained dominant throughout the game, the girls from Fr. McGuigan Park spoiled the green flag count with at least three magnificent collective efforts in and around the small box as Loughgiel pressed hard in the second half.

Orlagh Laverty opened up the major score count for the Shamrocks but that was equalled by Ahoghill’s Katie McCloskey when the opportunity arose to break behind Loughgiel’s defence. An industrious Ceala Dobbin made it two for Loughgiel within fifteen minutes from an intercepted Ahoghill sideline, then in less than three minutes made that three goals (Dobbin’s second) from an Anna Connolly – Orlagh Laverty setup. Annie Lynn got some of the action after recycling the Ahoghill puc out for her fine point. A sister act brought Loughgiel’s goal count to four when Orlagh Laverty fed through the sliotar to Christine McCloskey. McCloskey took the overhead bat option to rule out a hook from any chasing players. Tonight’s official, Paul O’Neill, blew for the break with scores Loughgiel 4-11 Ahoghill 1-01.

The restart brought further pressure to Ahoghill as Loughgiel now had a full sail with the blowing breeze behind them. Five points fired over the bar before Ahoghill’s Noreen Graham replied with an excellent point from an acute angle, but Loughgiel’s Kirsty Mckendry would make it five goals as she made good use of a pass from Dobbin. Although Katie McCloskey moved Ahoghill’s score along after a fine point, Loughgiel made good of the turnaround and ran up six points in quick succession. And when Loughgiel’s Anna Smyth made a lunge for goal, O’Neill was quick to spot an infringement, setting up Loughgiel’s goalkeeper to take and score the penalty with a stinger high into the net.

You can see Emma McAllister’s penalty here…

That would bring tonight’s game to an end and essentially an end to the league. Although there are a few re-fixtures in the planning, essentially these will not alter Cushendall’s place at the top of the leaderboard.

You can see more photos from tonight’s game by following the link to the album here…

https://myalbum.com/album/3XpXaLxiExavon/?invite=580e5c70-9310-4326-8244-078e40bbcfbb

Loughgiel starters and scorers

Emma McAllister 1-0 (P), Charlene Campbell, Úna McGovern, Finvola McVeigh, Anna Smyth 0-01, Megan McGarry, Louise McKillop, Anna Connelly, Shanna Deery 0-02, Annie Lynn 0-06, Christine McCloskey 1-03, Katie McKillop 0-06 (3f), Anna McKillop, Orlagh Laverty 1-03, Caela Dobbin 2-01, Kirsty McKendry 1-00, Carlina Sullivan 0-02

Ahoghill starters and scorers

Aine Graham, Dearbhaile Graffin, Bronagh Graffin, Fiona Blaney, Niamh Neeson, Éadaoin McGarry, Orla Neeson, Caoimhe Scullion, Aisling O’Donnell, Niamg Graham, Katie McCloskey 1-02, Molly Horan, Maeve O’Donnell, Róisín Loughlin, Noreen Graham 0-01

Antrim Camogie League Round 8 Loughgiel 3-12 Dunloy 0-12

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel

What promised to be a warm summer’s evening of spectating turned into a cool misty laden evening with Fr. Healy Park shrouded at times around the perimeter with a veil of mizzle. But that was a welcome set of circumstances for many of the players, considering how warm it was for many of us today. No hydration breaks tonight.

Despite the falling thermometer, Loughgiel warmed things up with two very early goals that had Dunloy chasing all evening. It was going to be an engaging game given that both sides almost had a full compliment due to the natural County haitus ahead of an Intermediate semi final, but no one would have anticipated the physicality in the game borne from a desire to win. Forty four fouls spread evenly across the two halves would grind the ebb and flow of the game to a simple start stop motion. All the same, in between, this evening’s game had flair, tactical play and a bunch of scores to keep the sidelines engaged.

Within two minutes of Ryan O’Reilly’s whistle, Loughgiel’s forwards had broken through Dunloy’s defence with relative ease. Loughgiel’s Lucia McNaughton fed the sliotar into Marie Laverty, offloading to Annie Lynn and with only Dunloy’s goalkeeper, Clodagh O’Kane to beat, the sliotar was fired to her left and up went the first early green flag. A minute later, Marie Laverty would exercise a simple one-two with Annie Lynn and Laverty would have the second green flag in as many minutes.

Dunloy didn’t panic, rather they went about building their score point by point, opening a salvo of seven points before the break to Loughgiel’s 2-04, five of Dunloy’s points coming from open play with Crawford, McAtamney and Aine Magill seeing the first half action. On the other hand, Loughgiel were slow to respond after their initial goal feast, building only four points coming from Laverty and Katie McKillop, two apiece leaving the scoreline at the break, Loughgiel 2-04 Dunloy 0-07.

At the switch, Aine Magill was first to wake up the large ‘Dan Scullion’ scoreboard from a free, shortly followed by a point from Loughgiel’s Katie McKillop. Magill would now stitch together three further points from fouls, with McKillop replying with four leaving a gap of four points for Dunloy to close and it would soon be three. Dunloy’s Eilis Kearns found McAtamney, now feeding through a delicate sliotar to Dunloy’s mid field machine, Eimear Johnston for a fine point.

But that would be Dunloy’s sum total of scores for the game, as Loughgiel tightened their grip on the game, starting with a short free from Clare McKillop to Katie McKillop for a point, followed by a pressured pass from Shanna Deery to Lucia McNaughton with a soaring point towards the clubhouse and finally a free from McKillop, who was on free taking form tonight. Loughgiel’s captain, Lucia McNaughton dealt the final blow with two minutes left as another soaring sliotar dived viciously under the bar for Loughgiel’s third goal and score for the night, scores ending Loughgiel 3-12 Dunloy 0-12.

To see more photos from Tuesday’s league game, click here…

https://myalbum.com/album/JAUJk7vDcjS95w/?invite=93cd79ab-b1b0-4f77-90c1-6bf2f453476e

Loughgiel starting panel and scorers

Emma McAllister, Aoibheann Gillan, Megan McGarry, Finvola McVeigh, Katie Lynn, Amy Boyle, Clare McKillop, Anna Connolly, Shanna Deery, Annie Lynn 1-00, Lucia McNaughton 1-01, Katie McKillop 0-09 (7f), Marie Laverty 1-02 (1f), Christine McCloskey, Kirsty McKendry

Dunloy starting panel and scorers

Clodagh O’Kane, Eimear McMullan, Brid Magill, Kathryn Boyle, Eilis Kearns, Katie Laverty, Caoimhe Conlon, Eimear Johnston 0-01, Caitlin Crawford 0-01, Nicole McAtamney 0-02 (1f, 1×45) , Dearbhail Elliott, Bronach Magill 0-01, Aine Magill 0-07 (5f), Aileen McManus, Adria McAllister

Antrim Camogie Feis Semi final

Dunloy 0-13 v Loughgiel 2-15

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran at Pearse Park, Dunloy

A heavily depleted Dunloy squad held their own for much of tonight’s Feis semi final game until Loughgiel worked out how to solve the puzzle of striking into the heart of the Cuchullain’s net. Shamrock’s Annie Lynn and Marie Laverty raised those green flags, both in the second half, tipping the game in favour of the visitors. Up to the first goal that came after three minutes in the second half, Dunloy’s grit, tenacity and perseverance made them look every bit the favourites, but Loughgiel held the course and their own perseverance into the low lying scoring territory paid off in a game that was both physical and energetic.

A damp evening largely kept supporters at home but there was no dampening of enjoyment for those that rocked up to Pearse Park. Given the deluge of rain throughout the afternoon, Dunloy’s turf was immaculate and set up nicely for an evening’s entertainment under the brollies.

Referee Shane McDonnell rolled in on the half hour past seven and it shortly fell to Loughgiel’s Marie Laverty to convert the first foul of twenty eight in the game in just under thirty seconds. Dunloy’s Erin McMullan was happy to reply with her first point of eight, the other seven from frees before Laverty converted a 45 into the slight breeze at the chapel end.

For the next fifteen minutes, it was Dunloy’s game, running up five more points before Loughgiel’s Marie Laverty found Katie McKillop running at the edge of the box. The Shamrock sensed the goal route was risky and opted to float the sliotar over the bar, allowing Loughgiel to work the scoreboard again. Three more Shamrock points followed, allowing them to draw alongside their hosts at six points apiece before Dunloy clawed back another two, one coming from a recycled 45 that went wide for a puck out. Dearbhail Elliott found the sliotar and offloaded to Aileen McManus for a fine point derived from alertness.

Dunloy and Loughgiel would wrap up the first half with another point apiece, with scores at the short whistle Dunloy 0-09 Loughgiel 0-07.

Tonight’s elements showed no favour for the Shamrocks as the breeze dropped noticeably at the start of the second half, however when it did rain, there was just enough wind to make working the ball by the hosts more difficult than they would’ve liked as they squinted into the drizzle. Loughgiel needed an edge to get them deeper into Cuchullain scoring territory and they didn’t have to wait long. No sooner had Adria McAllister pointed for Dunloy when Caela Dobbin made an attack on goal that was well saved by Aimie Shirt. Shirt would be kept busy and got the better of most of the Shamrock attacks, but a Marie Laverty pass to Annie Lynn was one of the exceptions as the net bulged from the force of the number four sliotar, just three minutes gone in the second half. Lynn would quickly be back with another goal chance but Shirt’s stick got to that one in time.

Both sides would go three for three, Dunloy making their three points from consecutive accurate frees from Erin McMullan, then Loughgiel struck deep and low from a Laverty goal passed in from Katie Lynn, having picked up Shanna Deery’s exquisite sideline cut. Dunloy lost momentum after that goal at around fifteen minutes and Loughgiel topped their evening’s work off with another five points to draw the semi final to a closure, Dunloy 0-13 Loughgiel 2-15.

Loughgiel will now play Cushendall in the Feis final on Sunday 5th July in Dunloy, time to be confirmed.

You can see more photos from this evening’s Feis semi final game here…

https://myalbum.com/album/aAe4TRCGEZXrwU/?invite=a4ef7093-f549-4c7e-98d9-8a86d3d4d959

Dunloy starting panel and scorers

Aimie Shirt, Carragh Boyle, Sarah McIlhatton, Sarah Louise Kearns, Eimear McMullan, Eilis Kearns, Caitlin Crawford, Eimear Johnston 0-01, Micha Cunning, Erin McMullan 0-08 (7f), Dearbhail Elliott, Kerry Rose Drain, Adria McAllister 0-03, Aileen McManus 0-01, Erin Traynor

Loughgiel starting panel and scorers

Emma McAllister, Charlene Campbell, Megan McGarry, Aoibheann Gillan, Finvola McVeigh, Katie Lynn, Ciara Laverty, Anna Connolly, Louise McKillop, Shanna Deery 0-01, Marie Laverty 1-06 (1f 1×45), Katie McKillop 0-06 (3f), Anna McKillop 0-01, Annie Lynn 1-00, Caela Dobbin 0-01