The first event of the South West Antrim Cumman na Mbunscoil calendar took place this week, held at the superb indoor facilities of Tir na Nog Randalstown and Cuchullians Dunloy, the camogs and hurlers from a number of local schools got to display their talents.
Teams at each venue consisted of a number of players from each school participating, so as well as getting to hurl, new friendships were forged. The standard of hurling and camogie throughout was excellent. Well done to all the boys and girls involved.
Doherty Woodshavings Intermediate Camogie Championship semi-final at Cloney, Ahoghill
Ahoghill 2-7 Loughgiel 0-14
Loughgiel survived a late rally by Ahoghill to book their place in Saturday’s Antrim Intermediate Camogie final against Cargin. The Shamrocks led for most of the game and were 0-9 to 0-4 ahead at half time and when they stretched their lead to six early in the second half it appeared as if they would win with a bit to spare. However a goal from Fiona Blaney kept the Cloney girls in the game and when Aine Graham got a second goal in injury time there was just a point between the sides.
The Loughgiel fans, who witnessed a similar finish on Sunday against Cushendall, only in reverse, must have feared the worst but their defence held firm in the final minute to get them over the line.
Player of the match Anna McKillop
Loughgiel made a strong start and points from Anna McKillop, Megan McGarry and Shanna Deery had them three clear after five minutes. Two points from Catriona Graham brought Ahoghill back to within a points but Loughiel came back with points from top scorer Anna McKillop and Kirsty McKendry to restore the three points cushion by the end of the opening quarter. Noreen Graham and Aishling O’Connell hit points on either side of one by Loughgiel’s Carlina Sullivan to leave two between the sides, but Loughgiel finished the first half strongly and three points from Anna gave them a 0-9 to 0-4 lead at the break.
When Anna McKillop hit her sixth point of the game early in the second half they were six clear, though Niamh Neeson got it back to four again a minute later. Ahoghill had a penalty appeal turned down soon afterwards and Loughgiel pushed six clear again with a point from Rebecca Higgins but a great solo run and shot by Ahoghill’s Noreen Graham was well saved by Loughgiel goalkeeper Shauna McKillop, though Fiona Blaney was on hand to steer the rebound home from close range.
Ahoghill’s Aisling O’Donnell makes a break
Anna McKillop continued her great scoring run with three more points, which stretched the Shamrocks lead to four with five minutes left to play.
As the game went into injury time Ahoghill were thrown a lifeline when Catriona Graham was awarded a penalty. Once again Loughgiel goalkeeper Shauna McKillop was equal to the shot but once again Ahoghill were first to the breaking ball and their goalkeeper Aine Graham, who had been moved up the forwards in the last ten minutes, drilled the ball home. Graham’s goal left just a point between the sides but despite having a couple of half chances in the final minutes, Ahoghill could not work an opening and the Shamrocks were through to meet Cargin in Dunsilly on Saturday at 1pm.
An outstanding performance from Anna Adams spurred St. John’s to U14B championship success when they overcame the challenge of a good St. Paul’s in the weekend’s final.
Adams would finish top scorer for the girls from the Whiterock and proved a constant threat throughout an excellent final.
It took the real action a time to get going as both defences dominated the early exchanges but Corrina Hamill for St. John’s broke the deadlock with a goal in the 14th minute.
The St. Paul’s response was decisive as they came roaring back with a goal of their own from Amy Gault, a minute later before St. John’s restored their advantage with a point from Anna Adams in the 19th minute.
It was the girls from the Shaw’s Road who finished the half the stronger however and a goal from Ellie Lynn in the 26th minute put them into a 2-0 to 1-1 half time lead.
St. Paul’s extended their lead with a pointed free from (9), three minutes into the second half and when the same player converted another with ten minutes gone the ‘Hoops’ appeared to be gaining control.
St. John’s rallied however with a goal from Emma Gargan in the 16th minute before Anna Adams added a point to bring the sides level.
The same player converted two more frees to push the Corrigan Park side two in front by the 21st minute and despite a spirited effort from St. Paul’s they could only manage a late Amy Gault point from a converted free,
Anna Adams was outstanding for the Johnnies girls while Hanna Mead and Lacey Saunders were the others to catch the eye in a solid St. John’s side who were made to work hard for their win.
Amy Gault led the St. Paul’s challenge with a strong performance around mid-field and Aoife O’Hara and Ellie Lynn kept the game flowing for a St. Paul’s side who gave it everything but came up just short on the day.
A commanding start paved the way for Rasharkin to reach their first junior camogie final since 2011 at the expense of St John’s at Dunsilly.
Goals inside the first quarter from Cora Henderson and Cathleen Mooney saw the South West Antrim side eight points up after 11 minutes against a shell-shocked St John’s.
The Whiterock Road girls recovered after a number of positional switches, but the majors had St Mary’s seven to the good at the break.
Thomas McGilligan’s side then weathered an early storm from St John’s, eventually outscoring the city girls by four points to two over an attritional second half.
Ciara O’Boyle had Rasharkin ahead inside two minutes, slotting a routine free from the left hand side, but St John’s shot an immediate reply through the lively Una Simpson.
St Mary’s then found the game’s opening goal; a flying Jade Henry saw her shot well blocked by a St John’s defender, but Cathleen Mooney picked up the break, shrugged off a solid challenge and rolled the ball underneath Aishling Hawkins to give her side the initiative.
St. Mary’s Rasharkin who defeated St. John’s in the Antrim Junior Camogie Championship semi-final at Dunsilly
Mooney popped over a neat score in the seventh minute to extend the lead to four points, before Ciara O’Boyle stripped a defender of possession and launched over a point wide on the left flank.
Rasharkin then found the net for a second time, as first Eimear O’Neill and then Cathleen Mooney showed enough composure to find Cora Henderson on the edge of the box.
The full-forward settled herself and rifled the sliotar into the roof of the net to leave St Mary’s eight ahead in the 11th minute.
Henderson almost wriggled free for a second goal just three minutes later, but Carrie Anne Williamson’s tenacity snuffed out the opportunity.
St John’s hit back on 16 minutes, with Eimhéar Costello getting off the mark, but Rasharkin hit back immediately; Niamh Mooney feeding Ciara O’Boyle to float over her third of the evening.
Costello slotted a neat point before an Una Simpson 45 forced Sharrifa O’Kane to react under the crossbar, tipping the ball out for another placed ball.
Eimear O’Neill then jinked between two defenders and burst clear to shoot Rasharkin into a commanding 2-5 to 0-3 lead on 22 minutes.
St John’s rang the changes in an attempt to force a way back into the game, with goalkeeper Hawkins moving out the field, where she had an immediate influence.
Now operating in midfield, Hawkins fired over a close-range free before launching a huge score between the posts from way out the field to cut the deficit to six points.
St Mary’s regained composure on the stroke of half-time, when Henderson’s vision picked out Eimear Quigg in acres of space on the left flank.
The centre forward split the posts to leave her side leading 2-6 to 0-5 at the short whistle.
The beaten St. John’s team
St John’s began the second period camped in the Rasharkin half, but it was St Mary’s who again took control, Cathleen Mooney finishing a breakaway move by sweeping over a 33rd minute point.
Both sides then traded goal chances.
After dispossessing the goalkeeper, Cora Henderson saw her kicked effort scrambled off the line, while at the other end, Eimhéar Costello’s powerful run was eventually snuffed out by sisters Noeleen and Sharrifa O’Kane.
Another Aishling Hawkins free from distance reduced the gap to seven points on 41 minutes, but a tidy Eimear Quigg free settled any comeback nerves five minutes later.
Substitute Sinead Hasson then saw her low effort clip the bar on the way over to leave Rasharkin leading 2-9 to 0-6 with the game entering the last ten minutes.
A Jade Henry 45 on 54 minutes nudged Rasharkin further ahead before a late Costello effort up the other end completed the scoring.
Rasharkin’s win sees them reach their first junior final since 2011, and next week’s decider will see them take on St Paul’s, who were also their opponents 12 years ago.
Subs: Ciara O’Neill for Eimear O’Neill (34), Sinead Hasson (0-1) for Ciara O’Boyle (38), Roisin Hardy for Cora Henderson (49), Christina Brennan for Cadhla McLernon (53), Maria Higgins for Cathleen Mooney (58)
St John’s: Aishling Hawkins (0-3,0-2f), Sinead McAleavy, Carrie Anne Williamson, Sarah Jane McGuigan, Eimear Johnston, Aine Dudley, Ceara Carelton, Paula McGivern, Carla Hamill, Faoileann Leyden, Una Simpson (0-1), Claire Morgan, Hannah McGuigan, Eimhéar Costello (0-3), Sophie Bradley
Referee: Paul O’Neill (Creggan)
Player of the Match
Niamh McFerran (Rasharkin) – St John’s had their chances to reduce the nine-point winning margin, but time and again their efforts were repelled by Niamh McFerran. The corner back emerged with possession countless times, her pace and anticipation getting the better of the St John’s attack.
Turning Point
Cora Henderson goal – Henderson’s piledriver on 11 minutes felt final even at that early stage. The full forward finished a tidy move involving Eimear O’Neill and Cathleen Mooney which left Rasharkin eight points up and in complete control.
Score of the Match
Ciara O’Boyle point – O’Boyle’s 8th minute point was a textbook example of defending starting with the attack. The half forward reached in with her hurl to steal possession from the defender, before stepping clear and opening the shoulders wide on the left, sending the ball between the posts from distance.
Ballycastle set down their markers in the opening half against Brídíní Óga Glenravel at Pairc MacUilin on Saturday with a hat-trick of goals from Samantha McKillen and six points from Maeve Kelly on her return from injury.
In the game which decided the last place in the semi-finals McQuillan’s led by 3-10 to 0-2 at the break and McKillen went on to grab a fourth goal at the very end after the Glenravel girls had pulled back two goals through sub Oonagh Ward.
Ballycastle: S McKillen 4-3, M Kelly 0-6, 2 frees, N Cosgrove 0-3, 2 frees, E McIntosh 0-2, S Hegarty 0-1, C Hegarty 0-1, Á Donnelly 0-1, F Kelly 0-1, S Graham 0-1.
Brídíní Óga: O Ward 2-0, A Traynor 0-2, E McAleenan 0-1 free, M Woulahan 0-1, S Fyfe 0-1
Loughgiel 0-8 Cushendall 0-4
Bridini Oga’s Shauna McDonnell gets to grips with Ballycastle’s Seanan Graham during Saturday’s round robin game at Pairc MacUilin
