Ibar’s claim spoils
Brave Buffers Alley can’t close gap
ST. IBAR’S/SHELS BUFFERS ALLEY 2-5 0-7
THE BIG crowd was entertained to a thrilling finale as St. Ibar’s Shelmaliers eventually edged their way to an impressive four-point victory over a battling Buffers Alley in this Wexford Camogie Under-18 Roinn 1 final played in difficult conditions on Sunday morning last.
The overnight frost had already made for testing conditions for the girls, with a heavy and sticky pitch, but when accompanied by sleety hail showers, it made for miserable conditions for the two sides.
But the young girls won the plaudits of the crowd with their show of skill, courage and commitment, as they served up a thrilling spectacle, particularly in the second half as the Alley girls threw everything at the Ibar’s defence in search of that much sought after goal, but credit to the eventual winners’ rearguard they showed tremendous defensive qualities as the withstood the intense pressure to fashion out an exciting and tremendous victory.
Craft in the conditions was always going to be a key factor. Both sides had this in abundance particularly with some individual displays that stood out as the game progressed.
It was always going to be tough in the conditions but credit to the respective attacks they still managed to pick off some excellent scores, but it was the Shels two first half goals that was to prove crucial.
Through that opening thirty minutes one was entertained to a mixture of some quality play coupled with a mix of some mistakes that were understandable in the conditions, but it was the Shels who possessed a number of individual players that really shone through with their skill levels, particularly their ball control and striking, which was to prove so crucial.
St. Ibar’s Shelmaliers had some outstanding individual displays with Caitlin Carroll, Aoibhe Murphy,
Catriona Kinsella and sub Aoibhe Manley being particularly outstanding, but the defence as a unit was superb.
Aine Fitzgerald and Ciara Banville got through an immense amount of work in midfield, while the two wing-forwards Ailish Neville and Hannah Hearne were particularly outstanding and influential in this victory, with Andrea Fielding completing an in-form half-forward line.
Buffers Alley were not found wanting when it came to individual displays.
Amy Costello, Saoirse O’Connor excelled in defence, with Sinead Furlong showing immense skill and attacking qualities out of midfield, while Amy Mitten was their star turn in attack, and was considerably unlucky not to have more scores to her credit for it was only desperate defending that denied her.
Any questions as to how the sides would handle the conditions were answered through the opening quarter.
After Ailish Neville with a pointed 65 had put the eventual winners in front they followed with a sixth-minute goal through a fine finish from Hannah Hearne.
Buffers Alley had to wait until the eighth minute to open their account through an Amy Mitten pointed free, while minutes later the same player was denied a goal through a splendid save from keeper Katie Feeney.
St. Ibar’s were gradually wresting control of the game.
Towards the end of the opening quarter it was Ailish Neville who found the net with a splendid finish from fourteen meters, and it was the same player who extended her side into a 2-2 to 0-1 lead with a pointed free.
It was testament to the battling qualities of the Alley girls that they finished the half impressively adding points through Amy Mitten, two, one free, while Sinead Furlong shot over a fine point from forty meters, which left Shels leading 2-2 to 0-4 at the interval.
While St. Ibar’s opened the second half with a Nicole Harding Kenny point, it was the Alley girls who went on to take the initiative adding points from Fiona Cousins and a Mitten free, to reduce the deficit to four points, 2-3 to 0-6, after thirty-seven minutes.
The outstanding Ailish Neville managed to lift the siege as she struck over two pressure pointed frees, giving her side a 2-5 to 0-6 lead with twenty minutes remaining.
The Buffers Alley girls refused to accept defeat as they responded with point of their own through Sinead Furlong’s sixty-metre free, and it was only the excellent defending of the eventual winners that denied them the goal the needed to wrest the initiative totally away from their opponents, but there was still much goalmouth drama as the St. Ibar’s Shelmaliers defence cleared their lines with some excellent interceptions and clearance to deservedly lift the title.