Tournament hosts CPC won Wednesday’s Ulster annual Ulster PPC Year 8 Camogie tournament which was organised by the school’s Year 14 students in memory of former pupil Lucia Quinny Mee. Played on both pitches at Pairc MacUilin the tournament attracted a host of schools from Antrim and Derry.
In the Shield final St Pat’s Maghera 2nds beat St Mary’s Magherafelt while in the A final CPC beat St Pat’s Maghera 1st team.
Overall a great day in memory of a great girl.
Bert Trowlen went along for the Saffron Gael to capture the action
A brilliant injury time save by Ballycastle goalkeeper Danielle McMichael helped her team hold on for a rare win over county champions Loughgiel at Fr Healy Park on Tuesday evening.
Leading by 0-7 to 0-6 at half time a goal soon after the restart from Caitlin Heggarty gave Ballycastle a bit of a cushion, against an understrength Sharmrocks side (both teams played without their county players). As the game entered injury time they lead had been cut back to two. A good move the length of the field saw Loughgiel’s Christine Larerty find room to fire in a shot, but just when it looked that they would grave the win at the death, McMichael pulled off a great save to keep her team in front.
Three points from Ellen McIntosh in the opening half helped Ballycastle to a 0-7 to 0-6 laad the break, Aine Donnelly, Caitlin Heggarty and Riana McBride also among the scorers, while Emma McMullan (3), Christine Laverty and Louise McKillop were among the scorers for the Shamrocks.
Heggarty’s goal early in the second half was to prove vital, as Loughgiel came back with pints from Emma McMullan and Mary McKillen to leave just two in it Nuala Devlin pointed from play to put Ballycastle three ahead again, but Emma McFadden and Anna McKillop closed the gap to a single point.
With the three McIntosh sisters all showing well the visitors kept the noses in front. McIntosh and Nuala Devlin put the ap out to three but Loughgiel pulled one back again and looked well set to clinch it at the last, until McMichael came to their rescue with that injury time save.
Despite as many as eight players ruled out because of county commitments it is clear that Loughgiel are still competitive, but Ballycastle, (who were also without their county players) will be glad to have got over the line
THREE second half goals from dual star Áine Devlin landed Brídíní Óga with an All-Ireland hang-over in Fr Maginn Park in the opening round of the Antrim Division 1 camogie league.
Tír na nÓg sportingly gave the new All-Ireland champions a guard of honour as they left the changing rooms and then set about taking them back down to earth again.
Points late in the first half from a Devlin free and Niamh Martin had given Tír na nÓg a lead of 0-6 to 0-3. But in truth they deserved to be further ahead as their forward movement and general teamwork on a heavy pitch were more fluent than the home team who couldn’t get going the teamwork that had taken them to the big prize over the winter.
There wasn’t a lot of scoring during the opening half. Áine Devlin and Emily Faloon had two points up before Megan Law scored with Brídíní Óga’s first shot at the target in the 14th minute. Faloon and Devlin (45) moved the score-board to 0-4 to 0-1 only for Caoimhe Duffin and Law to hit a double around the 23rd minute.
Devlin’s first goal came in the opening minute of the second half and she added a second a few minutes later getting a touch on the sliotar to deflect it to the net. Niamh Martin and Cameron McGahey tagged on points before her third goal 15 minutes in. This time she brilliantly caught a high ball and gave Orla Donnelly no chance.
It took 18 minutes before Emily Sharpe found Torie Edgar in the clear for the home side’s first score in a long time and sub Kirsty Laverty added another after Niamh Martin had Randalstown’s last score.
It many ways it was a typical first outing of the season, plenty of handling errors and the heavy pitch making the ball quite dead. But the team that looked the sharper deserved their wide winning margin.
Brídíní Óga : O Donnelly, A Mulholland, Jaime Woulahan, A Donnelly, B Laverty, M Mulholland, C Duffin (0-1), E McAleese, S McDonnell, E McAleenan, M Law (0-2), E Gould, H McCann, V Edgar (0-1), A Millar.
Subs: K Laverty (0-1) for H McCann, S Fyfe for A Millar, C Law for B Laverty, N Donnelly for C Duffin, E Sharpe for E McAleenan, K McDonnell for E Gould.
Tír na nÓg: C Devlin, S Shannon, Caitlin McGahey, K Bonnes, S O’Dolan, S O’Neill, Cameron McGahey (0-1), E McAreavey, B Devlin, E Falloon (0-2), H Crilly, N Martin (0-3), C McStravick, Á Devlin (3-3, 0-2 frees), R Bonnes.
Subs: N McKinley for C McStravick, C Martin for H Crilly, M O’Dolan for E McAreavey, H Crilly for E Falloon.Referee: P McSparran (Cushendun)
St Pat’s Magera’s bid for All Ireland Junior A glory was undone by a very good Loreto side at Darvar on Wednesday as the Kilkenny college collected yet another title at this grade, their 14th since 2007.
St Pat’s fought tooth and nail throughout, and had a great spell during the second half, but it was Loreto’s ability to take their scores, and their goals in particular, that divided the sides in the end.
Playing with the aid of a strong diagonal wind Maghera started well when Cáit Conway sent over a point from a free, and the Co Derry school could have had a few more but for some wayward shooting.
Loreto got on the scoreboard in the fifth minute when left half forward Aofie Shealy got in for a goal, but Magera hit back with two more points to level the game. The second goal was a real body blow for the St Pat’s girls, as Sarah Kehoe’s shot for a point just dipped below the crossbar and into the net, the goals proving the difference as they girls in black and amber went on to lead by 2-5 to 0-5 at half time.
Most pundits were expecting Loreto to run away with the game when they had the use of the wind in the second half, but the St Pat’s girls had other ideas and they played their best Camogie of the game in a hard fought second half. Good defensive work by the Maghera side denied full forward and team captain Ciara Dunne in the early stages and when they moved the ball down field Cáit Conway pulled a point back from a free.
With wing half backs Branagh Brolly and Ellie Griffin running at Loreto at every opportunity, ably assisted by Lucy McKaigue, Rhianna Doherty and McEldowney they began to create chances and closed the gap with some well take points. However the goal they needed to really get them back into the game never really looked like coming and Loreto bided their time.
Entering the last ten minutes the Kilkenny girls began to find their range and goals from Eleanor Doheny and team captain Ciara Dunne put the game beyond St Pat’s grasp.
The Player of the Match award went to Loreto centre back Anna Doheny who gave a masterful display to keep the Ulster champions at bay, but St Pat’s, who had four Antrim girls in the ranks, can take great heart from their second half display.
Scorers
Loreto:C Dunne 1-6, A Shealy and E Doheny 1-1 each, S Kehoe 1-0, L Boyd 0-2 frees
St Patrick’s:C Conway 0-6 frees, MT McCullagh, R Doherty and O McCartney 0-1 each.
Loreto:
E Brennan, S Doheny, A Carroll, C Hickey, E Murphy, A Doheny, G Brennan, O Kennedy, L Gilmore, S Kehoe, A Kirby, A Shealy, E Doheny, C Dunne capt, L Boyd.
Subs: A Laherty for E Murphy (35), M Kenny for L Boyd (58), A Murphy for O Kennedy (59)
St Patrick’s:
Ó Henry, L McKaigue, E Murray, A McFaul, B Brolly, K McCloskey, E Griffin, C Conway capt, MT McCullagh, R Doherty, O McCartney, C Hampsey,A.Hampsey, C Chambers, A Mulholland.
Subs: M Horgan for A Mulholland and C Mallon for C Hampsey (both 47)
A late rally by Antrim came up short in Friday’s Very National Camogie League game against Clare at Portglenone. The Saffrons played second fiddle for most of the game but they rallied in the last few minutes and closed to within four points which in truth was not very reflection of the game as the girls from the Banner County held the upper hand for most of the game. The young Saffrons started promisingly and played well in the first 10 minutes when points from a Dervla Cosgrove free and two from play by Ellen McIntosh and Yvonne Martin gave them an 0-3 to 0-1 advantage. However once the visitors got their first goal through Kate Gorman in the 18th minutes the balance of play swung in Clare’s favour and saw the visitors gain the upper hand. Clare pushed on and when Aisling Cooney grabbed a second one the young Antrim team were playing second fiddle and went on to trail by 2-4 to 0-5 and half time.
Clare goalkeeper Lauren Solan pulled off an outstanding save at the beginning of the second half to deny Antrim the chance of getting back into the game and from then on the visitors were in control.
Points from Olivia Phelan (2), and Kate O’ Gorman stretched the lead out to six and it was extended to eight not long afterwards at the Munster side picked off some impressive scores
Clare started to their bench some game time, but as a game moved towards full-time Maria Bakewell took advantage of a slip by the Clare goalkeeper tp stab the ball over the line, and soon afterward Anna McNeill sent over a point and the gap was back to just four. There was still time for Antrim but though they came close Clare were never really pushed and they deservedly held on for the win.
Clare: A Cooney (1-3, 0-3 frees), K O’Gorman (1-1), O Phelan (0-2), L McDonnell (0-1), G Carmody (0-1), C Twomey (0-1), S Loughnane (0-1 free)
Antrim: M Bakewell (1-0), D Cosgrove (0-2 frees), A McNeill (0-2), E McIntosh (0-2), F McIntosh (0-1), E Martin (0-1), C O’Boyle (0-1).
Referee: C Groome (Offaly)
Antrim: Á Graham, C Kearney, S Cosgrove, E Traynor, C McNaughton, E McMullan, C Crawford, A McNeill, F McIntosh, E Martin, S Fyfe, O Laverty, E McIntosh, N Neeson, D Cosgrove.
Subs: Bríd Magill for S Fyfe (HT), M Bakewell for E Martin (41), C O’Boyle for O Laverty (41), C Heggarty for D Cosgrove (56).
Clare: L Solan, R Crowe, C Kelly, S Hogg, L McMahon, M Powell, S O’Keefe, G Carmody, N Mulqueen, L McDonnell, K O’Gorman, C Twoomey, É Hickey, O Phelan, A Cooney.
Subs: L Grady for É Hickey (HT), A Anderson for O Phelan (50), S Loughnane for A Cooney (50), A McInerney for G Carmody (57), M Stankard for S Hogg (57).
Eleven yearas ago Mark ‘Duck’ McFadden was part of the Loughgiel team who beat Offaly champions Coolderry in the All Ireland Club hurling final in Croke Park. Forutnes were a little different today as he saw his Antrim team come up short against Clare. However the hunger and love for the game is still there as he passes on his wealth of knowledge to this young Antrim team
