O’Sullivan’s late goal crucial for Bunclody
BUNCLODY 3-7 OYLEGATE-GLENBRIEN 2-7
A ROISIN O’Sullivan goal with less than 90 seconds of normal time remaining proved to be the difference as Bunclody battled to Under-16 camogie Roinn 1A championship glory in Bellefield on Monday of last week.
With nothing separating the sides (2-7 each), a long Muireann Doyle ball into the goalmouth found its way to O’Sullivan.
And with only Emma Lawler to beat, the Bunclody attacker made a fantastic connection with her pulled stroke and flashed her finish past the Oylegate-Glenbrien ‘keeper.
While O’Sullivan was the hero at one end, the defence stood up stong too.
The gutsy Oylegate-Glenbrien girls threw everything at Rachel Kehoe’s goal in the time remaining, and Bunclody had to successfully repel three 20-metre frees and a dropped-in ‘45 to cling on to victory.
Whoever eventually came out on the wrong side of this epic tussle between two fairly evenly-matched teams was going to be bitterly disappointed, but Oylegate-Glenbrien couldn’t have given an ounce more in defeat.
In the end it was Bunclody’s day, but they will always remember this as a titanic battle. Given how close the game was throughout, they only trailed once and that says a lot about the dogged group of players they have in this squad and their refusal to ever give up an easy score.
They led by 0-2 to nil after points from the influential Aoife Farrell and Catherine O’Connor, but Oylegate-Glenbrien ended the first quarter ahead.
Chloe Murphy got the opening point for her side and then came out of a melee with the ball, went clear, and flashed past Kehoe.
Bunclody did considerable damage in the second quarter. With Jacqui Kehoe and Farrell pushing their side forward, O’Sullivan scored a cracking goal from the right of the posts, and Muireann Doyle added a second in injury-time.
That meant, despite points from Kellyanne Dempsey and Orla Redmond, Oylegate-Glenbrien trailed by 2-3 to 1-3 at half-time.
Yet, within 45 seconds of the re-start, Redmond netted to tie the game for the second time.
Four times in the course of the second-half, Bunclody edged one ahead, with Doyle (three) and Farrell getting their points.
However, every time Oylegate-Glenbrien responded through Orla Redmond, until O’Sullivan’s late goal sealed the title for the border club.
Bunclody: Rachel Kehoe; Rebecca O’Connor, Tracey Furlong, Aoife Murphy; Ríona Mahon, Naomi Kavanagh, Rosia Dunbar; Jacqui Kehoe, Aoife Farrell (0-2, 1 free); Katie Moynihan, Leah Morris, Róisín O’Sullivan (2-0); Kelly Cloke, Muireann Doyle (capt., 1-4, 0-3 frees), Catherine O’Connor (0-1). Subs. - Emily Doyle for C. O’Connor (39), O’Connor for Cloke (57), also Paulina Farynik, Shauna Doyle, Rebecca O’Neill, Eva Rothwell, Alena Moore.
Oylegate-Glenbrien: Emma Lawler; Caoimhe Whelan, Hannah Mernagh (capt.), Annelise Doyle; Mary Moran, Polly Frost, Rioghna Hourihane; Kellyanne Dempsey (01), Blathnaid O’Leary; Ciara Lawler, Ciara Hennessy, Orla Redmond (1-5, 0-2 frees); Chloe Murphy (1-1), Maria Downes, Hannah Byrne. Subs. - Karen Hayden for Byrne (42), also Ava Whelan, Ellen O’Gorman, Rachel Hayden, Caitlin Curran, Saoirse Foran, Abbie Somers, Jessie Redmond, Laura O’Brien, Elisha Dempsey.
Referee: Damien Donovan (Volunteers).