St Benedict’s Randalstown 5-5 Our Lady’s Castleblayney 0-3

ST Benedict’s have won Ulster schools’ camogie’s Inter-county Shield for the first time. On Wednesday they dominated the final in MUSA with an early goal from Caoimhe Carey the key to gaining control.

Opponents Our Lady’s Secondary Castleblayney showed they were every bit as capable as the winners, but they were always chasing the game, while Clodagh Mclarnon brought off several excellent saves in the first half and at the start of the second, saves that kept her team in control.

While St Benedict’s fought hard in every position, the skill and movement of Brogan Graham, Brenna Bonnes, Erin Neeson and captain Shauna McCann caused Castleblayney particular problems while Caoimhe Carey was a constant threat on the edge of the square.

Carey went on to record four goals, two in each half, and each was a nail in the Monaghan side’s coffin.

Brenna Bonnes opened the scoring with a point and Carey’s goal came in the third minute. Our Lady’s pushed forward to get a foothold on the game but couldn’t break down the Randalstown defence. At the other end St Benedict’s forwards kept chipping away at Castleblayney’s confidence with points from Annie Rankin, Brogan Graham and Erin Neeson before they finished the opening half with Carey’s second goal  to lead by 2-4 to 0-0 at the change of ends.

As she had done on a couple of occasions in the first half, goalie Clodagh McLarnon was called into action early in the second and brilliantly turned a shot out for a 45 from which Kiera McLaughlin got her side’s first score.

But St Benedict’s just needed to grab the odd score here and there to stay in front. Annie Rankin responded with a brilliant point from the right wing in the 38th minute and ten minutes later the game was as good as over when Shauna McCann’s long through ball was forced over the line for Caoimhe Carey to complete her hat-trick.

The other two goals came within a couple of minutes of the end, one from Carey and the last scored by Caoimhe McCann.

St Benedict’s: C Carey 4-0, C McCann 1-0, A Rankin 0-2, B Graham, B Bonnes, E Neeson 0-1 each

Our Lady’s: K McLaughlin 0-3 frees.

The winning St Benedict’s panel was: 

ClodaghMcLarnon, Fiadh O’Boyle, Brogain McGuckien, Caoimhe Carey, Tanisha McCann, Ciara McCann, Brogan Graham, Shauna McCann capt., Brenna Bonnes, Caoimhe McCann, Mya Cooke, Annie Rankin, Erin Neeson, Clare McStocker, Erin Rose McNeilly, Amy Moss, Eva Agnew, Callie Robb, Eimhear McGuckien, Katie Hughes, Cora McAuley, Isla Agnew

Ulster Schools Camogie – Corn Eimhear final:

St Patrick’s Maghera 3-15 St Killian’s Garron Tower 2-8

St Pat’s Maghera maintained their vice-like grip on the Conr Eimhear title when they beat St Killians Garron Tower in Wednesday evening’s final at Portglenone. Played in perfect conditions the fans who made the effort to be there were treated to an exhibition, with the Maghera girls always holding the upper hand, but though well beaten in the end St Killian’s gave a good account of themselves and can be proud of their performance.

The trouble was that St Pat’s had more players performing at a higher level, and their teamwork made them a more fluid unit, with stand-out players on every line. The Tower girls gave it everything they had, and in Eva McNeill they had a player to match anyone on the field, while Tamara Black worked her socks off and contributed well to the team effort, as did Eimer Ward in the half back line. St Pat’s just had a few more performing at a higher level and in Player of the Match Emma Quinn they have a real star.

Maghera dominated the first quarter with Emma Quinn in dominant form she sent over three frees to go with top class points from play from Aoibheann O’Loughlin and Grace McCartney and when Branna Donagh grabbed a goal they were in total control.

When Eva McNeill got her team’s first score from a free it settled her team and they started to show a bit more belief. McNeill added three more from frees, none of which were easy, and it helped settle her team mates nerves, but St Pat’s still had the upper hand Quinn stretched the Maghera lead with her team’s second goal, though St Killian’s efforts were rewarded when got through for a goal at the other end to trail by 2-08 to 1-05 at the short whistle.

Róisín McAtamney’s shot early in the second half deceived the St Killians goalkeeper and dipped below the crossbar for goal number three for the Derry girls and it was clear it was going to take something very special to close the yawning gap. They did find a bit of magic when Eva McNeill got through for a superb goal but St Pat’s were able to hold them at arms-length as they pulled away again to win by ten in the end to complete an impressive 4-in-a-row of titles. They will head into the All Ireland series in the Spring confident they can go even further.  

St Patrick’s: Karen Birt, Isabelle Martin, Caitlin McNally, Gracie Mae Bradley, Ríona Scullion, Eimhear Conway, Clodagh McIlvar, Aoife McWilliams 0-1, Emma Quinn 1-7, 0-6 frees, Brianna Donaghy 1-0, Ríonach McNally 0-3, Gracie Diamond, Aoibheann O’Loughlin 0-1, Róisín McAtamney 1-0, Grace McCartney 0-1.

Subs: Caoimhe Roche 0-1 for G McCartney, Éadhaoin Bradley 0-1 for A O’Loughlin, Eva Diamond for R McNally

 St Killian’s: Elen McAlister Aibrean Campbell, ⁠Laoise McCollam, ⁠Kiera McLaughlin, Niamh McCollam, Erin McNaughton, Eimear Ward, Eva McNeill 1-7, 0-7 fs, ⁠Tamara Black, ⁠Mia McKeegan, ⁠Dervla McMullan 1-0, ⁠Sorcha Carey, ⁠Laoiseach McNaughton, Cliodhna Thompson 0-1 free, Anna Birt.

Subs: Katie Burns for Aibreán Campbell, Aoife Campbell for S Carey. 

Referee: L Bannon (Cavan)

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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Corn Eimhear semi-final

St Killian’s Garron Tower 3-10 St Louis Ballymena 1-7

THIS year’s Corn Eimhear Camogie final will be a repeat of last year’s decider with St Killian’s Garron Tower pulling away in the second half of Monday’s semi-final to join holders St Patrick’s Maghera who had won their semi-final against St Mary’s Magherafelt 2-10 to 0-10 just before the midterm break.

Eva McNeill was again the star player for the Tower side with 2-9 from her side’s total, Laoiseach McNaughton the only other St Killian’s player to make the score-board. But there was a number of excellent performances in defence – Laoise McCollam, Emer Ward and Ciara McLaughlin – as well as Tamara Black and Dervla McMullan.

St Louis took a while to get going, but fought hard to make up the early gap with Cliodhna McKeever and Anna Smyth dangerous, while Caitlin Graffin, Aoife Neeson and Roma Martin were others who battled well on a heavy Glenravel pitch.

McNeill had popped over four points, three of them from frees or 45s, before Cliodhna McKeever and Eimhear McCloskey from a free got St Louis up and running. However St Killian’s pushed on and two more from McNeill and one from Laoiseach McNaughton had them ahead by 0-7 to 0-3 going into the break.

There was still time however for a late goal poached by Anna Smyth when St Killian’s failed to get in a clearance.

Although McNeill dropped back to midfield for the second half, she again started the scoring by driving a 30m free to the roof of the net. Although McCloskey responded with two points for St Louis, the Cushendun artist bagged a further two points and then hit her second goal when a speculative shot from distance skidded off the surface and into the net.

The final quarter saw goal-line clearances at both ends as St Killian’s remained in control with Sorcha Carey threading a pass through for Laoiseach McNaughton to finish the scoring with an injury time goal.

Meanwhile in the delayed Sciath Bhríde semi-final in Rossa, Gaelcholáiste Dhoire dominated the first half to set up a comfortable victory over St Malachy’s Castlewellan. Gaelcholáiste now play St Joseph’s Donaghmore in the final

St Killian’s: E McAllister, A Campbell, L McCollam, N McCollam, E Ward, E McNaughton, C McLaughlin, T Black, D McMullan, M McKeegan, E McNeill 2-9, 1-5 frees, S Carey, O Quinn, L McNaughton 1-1, M O’Kane.

Subs: A Molloy and E Black for O Quinn and M O’Kane (both ht), G Twigg for M McKeegan (57)

St Louis: C McNamee, B Doherty, L McGilligan, R Dickson, L Storey, C Graffin, A Neeson, R Martin, G Maguire, M McBride, C McKeever 0-3, A Smyth 1-0, A Vallely, E McCloskey 0-4, 3 frees, A McGilligan.

Subs: E McAleer for A Vallely (44), N Morgan for M McBride (59)

Referee: Vincent Boyle

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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