Guiney gives an exhibition
Super haul of 4-4 from play powers Rathnure to title
RATHNURE 5-8 CRAANFORD-M’SEED 2-4
THERE WAS only one name on the lips of everyone in attendance at a baltic Bunclody on Saturday to witness the Minor camogie Roinn 1 championship final, won in devastating fashion by a slick Rathnure collective.
In fact, such was the tour-deforce from Aoife Guiney that it’s hard to envisage a more potent first-half scoring spree at any level, as her personal haul of 4-4 from play laid the groundwork on the way to a 5-8 to 2-4 victory against Craanford-Monaseed.
It was essentially the same formula for each of her goals. Guiney would invariably gather possession around the 40-metre line, side-step by her nearest opponent, swallow up the ground in front of her and rattle the net with conviction - the only difference in theexecutionwasthespotwhere the sliothar nestled each time.
Guiney served warning of the danger she posed as early as the second minute when teed up by Eva Mooney, and she duly smashed beyond the near post with conviction.
Four minutes later, some selfless harrying from Ella Lyng paved the way for Guiney to hammer to the roof of the net.
The same player lofted a nice point on nine minutes, and the gap increased to 3-2 to 0-1 seven minutes later when Guiney this time elected to fire across goal to the opposite corner.
The shooting exhibition continued two minutes later when she advanced from the right and fired low via the butt of the metalwork.
A fine point on the run from Emma Poole was a rare highlight for Craanford-Monaseed during the siege, but it only provided brief respite for her side as Rhys Hogan got in on the goal-scoring act when she arrowed Aishling Breen’s delivery to the net.
Guiney made it 5-5 to 0-2 five minutes before the interval with what proved to be her last score of the day, before Craanford pulled a goal back from the penultimate stroke of the half when Katie Smyth bounced in a close-in free.
After the veritable goal-feast of the first half-hour, the second period was a famine in comparison, with no score of any note forthcoming until the 48th minute when Craanford captain Aoife Curran found the range from a ‘45.
Guiney was positioned in a more withdrawn role on the resumption and she found herself back in her own half to help clear the lines in the build-up to Nora Higgins converting a free on 50 minutes.
But the Gorey District side enjoyed their brightest spell, as Curran fired over the best point of the entire contest, while Smyth ran from deep before lofting to the net for an aesthetically pleasing goal six minutes from the end (5-6 to 2-4).
However, the final say went to the champions-elect, as Higgins tagged on another free before Hogan completed an impressive display by the black and ambers with a point that was teed up by none other than Guiney to cap off a progressive year for the traditional powerhouse.
Rathnure: Sophie Roche; Shauna O’Leary, Aishling O’Leary (capt.), Róisín O’Connor; Andrea Creane, Amy Cahill, Katie Lennon; Nora Higgins (0-3, 2 frees, 1 ‘45), Lara Conran; Aishling Breen, Rhys Hogan (1-1), Eva Mooney; Ella Lyng, Aoife Guiney (4-4), Fiona Guiney. Subs. - McKenzie O’Leary, Amy Foley, Mary Kate Doyle, Eimear Byrne.
Craanford-Monaseed: Rebecca Doran; Marie Doyle, Katherine Conroy, Emma Dunbar; Carla Brannigan, Grace O’Halloran, Fiona Doyle; Emma Poole (0-1), Siofra Doyle; Laura Doran, Aoife Curran (capt., 0-2, 1 ‘45), Katie Smyth (2-1, 1-0 free); Orla Montague, Rita Doyle, Blathnaid Kenny. Subs. - Aine Doyle for F. Doyle (20), Amy Hyland for O’Halloran, inj. (48), also Siobhra Bairéad, Katie Wilson.
Referee: Joe Kelly (Naomh Eanna).