De la Salle finish strongly in the Minor A to
Claim back to back County titles for the first time
Those who follow camogie in Waterford know
the achievements under age county teams have had over the last number of years
winning Munster and All Ireland titles and how the underage club scene has gone
from strength to strength. So last Saturdays Minor (A) Championship Final
between De La Salle and Gailltir in WIT Carriganore Sport Campus had the
makings of been a very competitive contest.
It was a fantastic final showing that Waterford Camogie has a very
bright future ahead. A STORMING FINAL few minutes from De la Salle ensured that
they claimed back to back Waterford Minor A titles for the first time.
With perfect weather and underfoot conditions
both teams came into this final knowing that only a point separated them in the
group stages of the completion earlier in the summer. De La Salle having won
the toss lined out defending the campus end goal and playing against a light
breeze from the throw in it was Gailltir who registered the first point of the
game followed quickly by an equalising point from De La Salle. However the
first half was to be all De La Salle’s from here on as Colette Hogan playing at
centre back was cutting out supply to the Gailltir forwards. The pairing of
Caoimhe Drohan and Courtney Healey dominated the mid-field area setting up De
La Salle’s forward line who by the half time break had registered 2-7 to
Gailltir’s 0-3.
Gailltir brought on Anne Corcoran just before
the half time break and made a number of
positional changes at the start of the second half, in particular bringing Kate
Lynch to mid-field. They started the
second half with serious intent, putting De La Salle on the back foot. Gailltir
took the game to De La Salle registering some fine scores and with twenty
minutes gone in the second half Gailltir had cut the deficit to three points.
With De La Salle now under pressure the
positioning of Niamh Murphy behind the half back line cut out Gailltir’s
ability to supply their inside forwards in particular Annie Fitzgerald who was
now playing at full forward. In the closing period De La Salle settled the
contest to win back to back Minor (A) championship titles with some fine scores
finishing the game with 3-17 to Gailltir’s 2-11. It was a fantastic contest
with bother teams leaving everything they had on the field.
Other performances of note De La Salle’s:
Brianna O’ Reagan, Beth Carton, Abby Flynn (Player of the Match) Aisling
Madigan, Emma Fitzgerald. Gailltir’s: Ciara Jackman, Leah Sheridan, Annie
Fitzgerald, Clodagh Carroll.
De La
Salle Panel: Brianna
O’ Reagan, Katie Ryan, Taylor Healy, Rachel Butler, Megan O’ Connor, Courtney
Healy (capt), Collette Hogan, Caoimhe Drohan (0-1), Niamh Murphy, Emma
Fitzgerald, Chloe Dempsey, Katie O’Keeffe, Abby Flynn (2-2), Beth Carton (12),
Aisling Madigan (1-2), Lucy Hogan, Patricia Farrell, Rachael Daniels, Clara
Boland, Jade Phelan, Becky Roche, Toni Forristal.
Management: Declan Drohan, Derek
Healy, Joe Carton. First Aid: Rose Madigan
Gailltir
Panel:
Ciara Jackman, Emma Flynn, Ailis Doyle, Emily Mahony (capt), Sinead Cunningham,
Leah Sheridan, Shauna Fitzgerald, Kate Lynch (0-2), Clodagh Carroll (0-2),
Ciara O’ Sullivan (0-1), Annie Fitzgerald (2-03), Emma Frampton, Jane O’
Connell, Emer Walsh (0-1), Leah O’ Donoghue, Anne Corcoran (0-2), Laoise
McLoughlin, Katie Judge, Treasa Coady.
Management: Orla Fitzgerald,
Gail O’ Sullivan.
Referee: Liz Dempsey
Waterford
Camogie Minor B County Final
St
Annes 1-12 Clonea / St Mollerans 1-3
After a highly competitive
first half, St Annes pulled away in a convincing manner after the interval and,
but for an outstanding performance by Emma Norris in the combination’s goal,
the score differential could have far greater.
Clonea / St Mollerans
started with a slight wind advantage but struggled to convert chances into
scores and relied on Aoife Fleming from 3 converted frees and a goal from Katie
Norris on the stroke of half time to see them lead at the break 1:03 to 0:04. The
combination missed two goal chances in that first half, which would have been a
major boost to their cause and more appropriately demonstrated their
superiority particularly in the second quarter. The St Anne’s scores came from
Sibeal Harney, Rachel McDonald, Foran and Ciara Behan and they must have been
happy going in at half-time, only two points down despite not playing to their
potential.
The first 10 minutes of the
second half as always are vital in a tight defensively dominated game like this
and so it proved again as St Annes took a firm grip on proceedings around the
centre of the field through their inter-county senior squad members Sibeal
Harney and Saoirse Bonner and powered to a 1:06 to 1:03 lead, the goal coming
from Rachel McDonald. The following 15 minutes saw a courageous defensive
display from Clonea/St Mollerans as Emma Norris and the back-line in front of
her as they repelled attack after attack, conceding only two points, before the
floodgates opened eventually with St Annes scoring a further four points in the
closing five minutes through Lauryn Foran (3) and Ciara Behan.
Best for St Annes were
Aisling Allen, Saoirse Bonner, Roisin Dunphy, Rachel McDonald, Lauryn Foran,
Ciara Behan and Player Of The Game Sibeal Harney.
Best for a youthful Clonea /
St Mollerans were Emma Norris, Lauren Galvin, Aoife Hahessy, Keeley
Corbett-Barry, Heather Hayes, Aoife Fleming and Niamh Cahill.
Scorers: St
Annes Ciara Behan (0-4), Rachel
McDonald (1-1), Lauryn Foran (0-4), Sibeal Harney (0-1), Saoirse Bonner (0-1)
and Shauna Foran (0-1)
St Molleran’s: Aoife Fleming (0-3) and Katie Norris (1-0)
