Cushendall won the Under 16 Camogie title when they beat Ballycastle in Sunday’s final at Carey. The Ruairiettes were on top throughout the game, and their ability to grab goals at vital times was something Ballycastle could not match.
Aoife McCaughan hit the first point of the game for Ballycastle but Cushendall came back strongly with two points from centre forward Orlaith McAlister and one from corner forward Amy McAlister. Orlaith McAlister then grabbed her team’s opening goal and added a point from play before Amy grabbed goal number two in the 13th minute.
Ballycastle came back with points from Shannnagh Hegarty and Louise McBride but two more goals from Niamh McNeill and Orlaith McAlsiter gave Cushendall a 4-5 to 0-3 point lead at half time.
Ballycastle got the first score of the second half through Shannagh Heggarty but points from Kady McNeill and Orlaith McAlister were followed by an Amy McAlister goal. Jamey McIntosh pulled a goal back for Ballycastle but Amy McAlister completed her hat-trick with Cushendall’s sixth goal
HOLDERS, and winners of four of the last five Doherty Woodshavings Antrim Intermediate championships, Loughgiel were knocked out of this year’s title race in the first of the quarter-finals played in Fr Healy Park at midday on Saturday.
Brídíní Óga took a while to get on top on the scoreboard in a game that had plenty of mistakes, but during the second half they pulled away to win comfortably.
Loughgiel have beaten the Glenravel side in three of the last five finals and it was looking like they would once again get the better of them when a huge free from Megan McGarry bounced in the Brídíní Óga area in the 14th minute and ended in the net possibly with a touch from Cara Connolly.
That put Loughgiel ahead for the only time in the game, 1-1 to 0-3, following three earlier points from Eimhear McAleenan (free), Torie Edgar and Aimee Traynor with a point from Emer McKinley in reply. There was just a single point during the second quarter, Eimhear McAleenan’s 23rd minute free pulling the sides level for the break.
Megan Coyle had pulled off a couple of great saves during the half, including one brilliant stop from Torie Edgar, while her defence, marshalled by Megan McGarry at centre-half back, coped well with a lot of pressure from the Glenravel side.
Brídíní Óga dominated the first 20 minutes of the second half and gradually pulled away on the score-board with McAleenan converting four more frees and Erin Coulter breaking from the right side of defence to fire over another.
Although Louise McKillop took advantage of a poor poc out to run through the middle and pull a point back in the 49th minute, Torie Edgar fired a bullet to the home side’s net four minutes later. While the Glenravel girls had probably done enough to win the game by that point, the goal confirmed their passage to a semi-final against Cargin or Ahoghill who play on Tuesday evening in Ahoghill (7.30pm).
Aimee Traynor and Sarah Fyfe added points that were cancelled out by two scores from Carlina Sullivan during the last few minutes.
There was a nervousness about the Glenravel performance until they got four or five points ahead midway through the second half. Their defence was solid throughout with the McKenna sisters back in the team for the first time since a league game in May. Their attack threatened to do more damage than they actually achieved in terms of scores from play, but the addition of Niamh McKay and Clodagh McPeake in the second half and the general ball-winning of Molly Wolouhan gave them more options.
Rasharkin left it late to seal the deal, but a 1-1 rally in injury time saw them see off a stubborn Gort na Móna challenge to reach the semi-final of the Antrim junior camogie championship.
In warm conditions at Dreen, there was a ripple of relief when substitute Ciara O’Boyle split the posts in the 61st minute to nudge the hosts back into the lead.
Jade Henry added a goal on 64 minutes to polish the final score and see the home side reach the final four against a 14-player Gort na Móna side.
Aisling McCaffrey had 0-2 to her name when she was dismissed on 29 minutes after an off-the-ball incident with Rasharkin’s Sharrifa O’Kane.
O’Kane and sister Noeleen both saw yellow in the aftermath of the incident, much to the ire of the Gort na Móna line who were vocal in their disagreement.
St Mary’s pulled ahead after the flashpoint to lead by 0-6 to 1-2 at the break, and after stretching the lead to three midway through the second half, they were rocked by a levelling Sara Kennedy goal.
O’Boyle and Henry’s late intervention though ensured the hosts’ successful qualification for the championship semi-final.
Aisling McCaffrey had shot Gort na Móna into the lead after just two minutes from a free, only for Cora Henderson to race through the middle and slot a score to level matters on 3 minutes.
McCaffrey then swapped points with Jade Henry to leave the scores level at 0-2 apiece on 11 minutes, before Henderson tidied up a scramble to shoot Rasharkin ahead in the 17th minute.
Rasharkin’s Sharrifa O’Kane clears a free in the second half.
The hosts went close to finding the net on 20 minutes, Gort goalkeeper Colleen McAvoy recovering to clear after fumbling the first attempt.
Cádhla McLernon doubled the home lead in the 22nd minute, before Henry opened up a 0-5 to 0-2 gap with a free wide on the right hand side two minutes later.
Gort na Móna countered though, and McCaffrey’s neat hand pass sent Danielle Hughes cantering into space. The half forward made no mistake and rattled the top corner from the edge of the box.
Then came the flashpoint, with Sharrifa O’Kane tangling with McCaffrey after the Rasharkin full back had cleared the ball.
After a lengthy delay, referee Shane O’Donnell showed a red card to the Gort na Móna corner forward, before flashing yellow at Sharrifa and Noeleen O’Kane on 29 minutes.
Cora Henderson then fired the hosts into a 0-6 to 1-2 half time lead as the game entered first half injury time, and Rasharkin opened the second half in determined mood.
Jade Henry drew first blood, rounding her marker to shoot low over the bar in the 34th minute, before Danielle Hughes again came close for Gort, flashing a low shot past McMullan’s right hand post.
Kerrie Darragh collected a neat ball from Henry and thought she had found the net, only for the umpire and referee to rule the ball had entered the net through the side netting.
Henry then won a foot race with the Gort na Móna keeper, keeping her composure to split the posts as the defensive cover arrived and open a 0-8 to 1-2 lead.
Senior camógs Noeleen and Sharrifa O’Kane present a jersey to senior camogie sponsor Tony O’Kane Carpet Fitting Services.Senior camógs Noeleen and Sharrifa O’Kane present a jersey to senior camogie sponsor Tony O’Kane Carpet Fitting Services.
The home side were rattled though on 53 minutes, as Sara Kennedy took control of a breaking ball and batted the ball into the bottom corner of the net to level matters and spark some panic.
Rasharkin hit a number of rushed wides in the following minutes as they chased the lead, but substitute Ciara O’Boyle ended the waste on 61 minutes.
The forward shrugged off her marker and fired between the posts to the relief of all around her, and when Jade Henry found the net from a 64th minute free, the victory was sealed.
Subs: Ciara O’Boyle (0-1) for Roisín Hardy (37), Christina Smith for Kate McFerran (40), Danielle McAllister for Cora Henderson (61)
Yellow: S O’Kane (29), N O’Kane (29)
Gort na Móna: Colleen McAvoy, Grainne Hughes, Fiona McCotter, Rose Maguire, Casey Meighan, Kathleen Cornane, Ennae O’Neill, Sara Kennedy (1-0), Carla Scannell, Grainne O’Hare, Anna McCann, Danielle Hughes (1-0), Aisling McCaffrey (0-2f), Ursula McCotter, Méabh Mulholland
Yellow: A McCann (42)
Red: A McCaffrey (29)
Ref: Shane O’Donnell (Glenariffe)
Player of the Match – Jade Henry
Jade Henry finished the match with 1-4, 1-2 coming from play as she provided an outlet for the home side on numerous occasions. The half forward contributed to a solid defensive effort too, back helping out with a vital block on 48 minutes.
Turning Point – O’Boyle point
Rocked by a Sara Kennedy goal seven minutes from time, Rasharkin looked unsettled and in their panic to re-assert their authority fired over three successive wides before O’Boyle collected the ball in injury time, shrugged off her marker and split the posts to nudge St Mary’s back in front.
Score of the match – Hughes goal
Cora Henderson’s opening score was a contender, but the opening Gort na Móna goal was well-worked, Aisling McCaffrey’s neat hand pass finding a marauding Danielle Hughes. The half forward cantered into the space and picked her spot in the top left hand corner of Saoirse McMullan’s goal.
It was a fantastic day at Saturday’s Antrim GAA Health & Well-Being event in the Dunsilly Hotel! Grma to all our clubs and those who took part
Guest included Oisin McConville, Carál Ní Chuilín, Sean Smyth from Eimears Wish, our County Captains Peter Healy, Eoghan Campbell, Lucia McNaughton and Cathy Carey!
Mental Health & Well-Being for sports stars is a topic that is worth sitting down and having a real chat about. Bert Trowlen went along for the Saffron Gael.
Antrim senior team captains Eoghan Campbell, Cathy Carey, Lucia McNaughton and Peter Healey who attended the Antrim GAA Heath and Wellbeing Seminar at the Dunsilly Hotel Former Armagh legend Oisin McConville who was one of the guest speaker at the seminar
A point from corner forward Orlaith Prenter in the final minute gave Tir na nÓg victory over Ballycastle in the opening round of the Intermediate Camogie Championship at Whitehill on Sunday. With five minutes left for play Ballycastle were well positioned to take the victory when they lead by 1-9 to 1-7, but the home team finished strongly and two of the stars of Antrim’s All Ireland Junior Football winning side, Orlaith Prenter and Aine Devlin got them the scores which turned the game around.
Devlin, playing at full forward, had a goal on the scoreboard in the opening minute, but her opposite number on the Ballycastle team Shannagh Heggarty hit one at the other end two minutes later to tie up the scores and Maubh O’Neill put them ahead on seven minutes. Naimh Martin brought Tir na nÓg level on tem minutes and they went two clear when Niamh Martin and Orlaith Prenter fired over points. It was nip and tuck during the second quarter with Ellen and Janey McIntosh bringing Ballycastle level. Prenter put the home side ahead again on 28 minutes but Heggarty’s late points for Ballycastle left the sides level at 1-15 apiece at half time.
Points by Graham and Heggarty put Ballycastle on top early in the second half but Aine Devlin cut the gap back to one with a pointed free. Maria Bakewll and Shannagh Heggarty added points on either side of one from a 45 by Devlin and when they held that lead until five minutes from time they it looked like they were set for a semi-final place. However Tir na nOg finished the game strongly and Preneter and Devlin brought Tir na nOg level, before Prenters struck the winning with just a minute to play.
