Ursuline battle to All Ireland final

St Angela’s Ursuline 2-8 Abbey Community College 2-4

St Angela’s Ursuline rolled up their sleeves on Saturday afternoon to beat local rivals Abbey Community College and advance to another All Ireland final.

It turned into a real struggle for last year’s junior champions as Abbey dropped an extra player into defence from the start. The congestion strangled the life out of both attacks.

This semi final was littered with frees as well. Wexford referee Aidan O’Brien blew the whistle 46 times (26 in the first half).

Ursuline’s star quality eventually shone through. Goals either side of the break by Aoife and Annie Fitzgerald gave them breathing space in a claustrophobic encounter. Dashing midfielder Clodagh Carroll was head and shoulders above the rest. Her lengthy carries moved the team in red in the right direction. She also nailed a long distance free at a critical stage. Abby Flynn shot three points from play on a day where forwards were heavily policed.

From the throw in, Abbey immediately withdrew corner forward and Ferrybank native Grainne Heffernan. Ursuline reacted by bringing out Rachael Walsh to the half forward line. It created a stalemate situation for most of the opening thirty minutes.

A goal from Aoife Fitzgerald late in the half followed by a Niamh Murphy point gave Ursuline a 1-3 to 0-2 interval advantage. Abby Flynn opened the scoring on seven minutes and a slick move created a second for Annie Fitzgerald. The Munster champions wouldn’t register for another twenty minutes however. Lead attacker for the Abbey Afton Grace levelled matters with two frees.

On 28 minutes, Aoife Fitzgerald grabbed a free from Annie at the edge of the square and fired to the far corner. Carroll broke through three high challenges to win a free. Alanna Gallagher was shown a yellow card. Murphy put the Ursuline four clear in injury time.

The second half was a much livelier affair. Grace moved to full forward and rattled the roof of the net within 45 seconds of the restart. The Ursuline cancelled it out almost immediately as Annie Fitzgerald’s 34th minute free deceived Abbey goalkeeper Aoife Slattery and went all the way (2-3 to 1-2). Abby Flynn pushed the lead out to a comfortable five points when another Fitzgerald free didn’t have the distance.

The Kilkenny side refused to surrender and Grace pointed a free. Nearing the last quarter, a Caroline Kennedy effort flew over the umpire’s head and wide. Annie Fitzgerald then split the uprights from 45 metres. With twelve minutes left, Kennedy approached from the left and drove the ball past Leah O’Donoghue. She followed it up with a point (2-5 to 2-4).

Clodagh Carroll steered the Ursuline out of danger. The Gailltir midfielder won a free 50 metres from goal and dispatched it herself. A Flynn point settled the nerves further.

In an uneasy finish for the leaders, Ciara O’Sullivan intervened twice as Abbey chased an equalising goal. Afton Grace also missed the pick-up on a last-minute dead ball. In the second minute of injury time, Annie Fitzgerald sent over the insurance point from a free.

Dublin champions Coláiste Íosagáin stand in their way on March 3.

Scorers for St Angela’s Ursuline: Annie Fitzgerald 1-3 (1-1fs), Aoife Fitzgerald 1-0, Abby Flynn 0-3, Clodagh Carroll (f), Niamh Murphy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Abbey Community College: Afton Grace 1-3 (3fs), Caroline Kennedy 1-1.

St Angela’s Ursuline: Leah O’Donoghue (Gailltir); Shauna Farrell (Butlerstown), Lucy Hogan (De La Salle), Emma Flynn (Gailltir); Leah Sheridan (Gailltir), Collette Hogan (De La Salle), Hannah Flynn (Gailltir); Clodagh Carroll (Gailltir), Ciara O’Sullivan (Gailltir); Aleisha McDonald (St Annes), Niamh Murphy (De La Salle), Annie Fitzgerald (Gailltir); Rachael Walsh (Butlerstown), Aoife Fitzgerald (Gailltir), Abby Flynn (De La Salle).

Sub: Emer Walsh (Gailltir) for McDonald.

Abbey Community College: Aoife Slattery (St Claire’s); Kathlyn Roche (St Claire’s), Aine Phelan (St Claire’s), Ciara Atkins (St Claire’s); Eve Lacey (St Claire’s), Laura Mulcair (St Claire’s), Alanna Gallagher (Piltown); Caroline Kennedy (St Claire’s), Una Kinsella (St Claire’s); Alannah Dolan (St Claire’s), Jane Rochford (St Claire’s), Afton Grace (St Claire’s); Grainne Heffernan (Ferrybank), Orla Phelan (St Claire’s), Emma Hewetson (Mooncoin)

Subs: Kate Sheridan (St Claire’s) for Atkins, Helen Connolly (Ferrybank) for Hewetson.

Referee: Aidan O'Brien (Wexford)

Littlewoods National League:

Best of luck to our senior team who play Dublin in the fourth round on the National league on Sunday next in WIT Carrignore at 2PM.   This is a must win game for our seniors in order to qualify for the League semi finals. Please come out and support the girls on Sunday next. 

Waterford Under 14 School of excellence

The Under 14 School of excellence commences next Saturday in WIT Carrignore at 1.30PM.  

 Waterford Camogie Office

Waterford Camogie office is opened every day Monday to Friday from 9am to 1PM. Our Office is located in Dungarvan Nissan.  If you have any queries or want to get in contact with us please contact Tanya on 086 8113531 or John Flood on 087 6684474.  You will also find us on Facebook and twitter.