Antrim Camogie Senior Division 1 – Tuesday 23^rd July 2024

Loughgiel 3-14 Cushendall 2-09

Tuesday eveing’s game seen the commencement of the Antrim Senior Division 1 league after the recent split. It was also a glimpse of what might be to come as old rivals begin to size up squads ahead of the championship season. But many would think it’s still too early and a quick glance around the panels suggests there’s still many familiar faces to tie up boots and grab a jersey. Maybe so, but tonight’s game moved the league encounter up a notch as both Loughgiel and Cushendall came out fighting for the win.

Owen Elliott took charge of the match and right from the throw-in, Loughgiel went on the offense towards the club house with a dropped ball wide into Marie Laverty who channelled the sliotar across to a moving Anna Connolly. Connolly didn’t miss the target for her point and despite not reappearing on the score tally, Connolly would be omnipresent throughout the game, sweeping back and forward to great effect.

Cushendall though were patient and totalled up three points in quick succession, a free from Kady McNeill, a long pass from Brogan Abram found Dervla Cosgrove deep under the Fridge Raiders scoreboard for a fine point from an acute angel, closely followed by another deep pass into the edge of the Shamrocks box and delivered over the bar by Brogan Abram.

Those three points would be reciprocated by Loughgiel’s Annie Lynn, Lucia McNaughton from Christine McCloskey and a Roisin McCormick point set up by Anna Connolly’s persistence in winning a ground ball.

At approximately eleven minutes into the game, Loughgiel’s Roisin McCormick would return to within striking distance of Cushendall’s goal but keeper, Aimee McDonnell, pulled off two saves to deny McCormick an early goal. Instead, McCormick would pick up the loose ball coming out and turned it over for the point. Scores on the board registered Loughgiel 0-05 Cushendall 0-03.

A long puck out allowed the Dall to create an opportunity to go one on one with Loughgiel’s keeper, Eimear Boyle, but no one managed to keep pace with the diagonal ball that eventually ran wide of the target and needed Orlaith McAlister to point from the right side towards the road end in order to gain some benefit from the move.

As McCormick was gathering up the sliotar on the turn, Owen Elliott spotted a push, bringing McCormick to the ground. McCormick would gather back some satisfaction as she pointed the free.

As Cushendall pushed forward into half back territory, a determined Emma McFadden would run out with the sliotar to deliver to a running Christine McCloskey, immediately offloading to Annie Lynn for a point straight off the stick down the middle of the field.

There wasn’t a lot between sides at this point, scores stood at Loughgiel 0-07 Cushedall 0-04, whenever Annie Lynn played in the sliotar to McCormick, running towards goal. Keeper McDonnell would deny the first attempt but McCormick was persistent around the box and a simple pull hoisted the Shamrock’s up a goal.

It would take the Dall some time to reorganise after the goal, in the meantime Loughgiel’s McFadden was proving a handful and clearing a loose ball, found herself on a solo run close enough to point from under the scoreboard.

The Shamrocks youngest recruit, Marie Laverty, was eager to demonstrate her tenacity in a full forward position and whenever McCormick offered the sliotar, Laverty delivered for her point.

With the scoreboard registering Loughgiel 1-09 Cushendall 0-04, the Dall would strike back with a hard-won ball on the low side of the pitch, finding Orlaith McAlister who rolled it past Boyle for the Dall’s first goal of the evening.

McCormick would take us up to the break with another two points, one from a sequence of passes, Marie Laverty to Anna McKillop to McCormick and a free, which stemmed from a foul on McCormick. Scores at Elliott’s short whistle were Loughgiel 2-10 Cushendall 1-04.

The evening’s weather offered no distinct advantage on the turnaround and it would be upwards of five or six minutes before Loughgiel’s Annie Lynn would strike with a point won by herself from a run to a loose ball. Loughgiel’s Shauna Devlin was busy patrolling her half back position with some authority and offered a long pass to McCormick, wasting no time to conjure up a point.

Cushendall would find their scoring form again, with a point from a free by Kady McNeill. It could have been two after a free was awarded for a push on Eva McNeill, but a drifting wide sliotar would see the Dall wait for another score until Christine McCloskey offloaded to McCormick for a scorching low trajectory over the bar.

Cushendall’s Dervla Cosgrove would point from a free before Roisin McCormick was fouled and took her point from having the advantage.

Loughgiel would have one last strike at Cushendall’s goal, whenever Lucia McNaughton won her ball in midfield and delivered into a running Annie Lynn. Lynn wouldn’t miss the net from short range and that would trigger the Shamrock’s to start rolling out the bench.

Although the game, at this stage, was probably beyond Cushedall’s grasp, they rallied more scores, a point from Cara O’Boyle and a goal from a hard-working Brogan Abram. Orlaith McAlister would add to her score tally with a fine point and substitute Amy McAlister would point and close the Dall’s scoring for the evening.

As Elliott blew for the end of the match, the scoreboard stood still at Loughgiel 3-14 Cushendall 2-09.

With only two games left after the split, the league offers up an exciting race to the finish.

Photos from Tuesday evening’s game can be found in the photo album by clicking on the link here…

https://myalbum.com/album/wC6PCnu3jdpmvy/?invite=94182208-a927-4edb-95eb-5644584aac90

Follow Michael G Corcoran @keep_clickin on X (formerly Twitter) for match Gifs when available.

Follow The Saffron Gael @TheSaffronGael on X for links to match reports.