Goals galore as Kilrush triumph
KILRUSH BUNCLODY
KILRUSH WENT goal crazy on their way to taking the Senior ‘B’ camogie championship title against a youthful but promising Bunclody side in Bellefield on Saturday.
In truth, this game was a breath of fresh air. This is what camogie should be about, two sides that both went into the game believing they could win, going about the task in the right way.
Looking at these two teams, and the success both are having at under-age level, both clubs have the opportunity to keep pushing on.
The wind was a big factor in the game, as it helped Kilrush build their first-half lead and aided a spirited Bunclody recovery in the second period.
The big differences? Probably how well Kilrush took their chances and their ability to make countless last-ditch interventions in defence when they were under the cosh.
Conversations about goalscorers and Kilrush invariably include reference to Mags Byrne. The pacey attacker could easily be the poster child for what ails Wexford camogie; never given a proper chance by Senior management, the 25-year-old is hardly over the hill but seems to be a forgotten force.
Once again she lit up the Kilrush charge with a major treble but it wasn’t just Byrne, as Lorna Fortune was hugely impressive too, and Claire O’Rourke scored as picture-perfect a goal as you are ever likely to see.
However, it was Byrne turning in on goal and opening the scoring in the second minute with a clinically-taken major. When she was blocked out later in the opening quarter, Fortune was on hand to scoop up and fire home her first of the afternoon.
Nicole Fortune and Byrne exchanged dead-ball points but Kilrush were back on the major hunt again in the 14th minute when Lorna Fortune fed Byrne, who cut inside and rattled another stinger to the net.
Róisín Kelly did well to repel Byrne in the 18th minute but Charlene Hayden was on hand to turn in the rebound.
A superb run and pass by Anna Kinsella set up Fortune for her second goal in the 21st minute to make it 5-1 to 0-1.
Aoife Mahon hit back with a point but Claire O’Rourke started a moved in the centre, spread play wide to Byrne on the right, and when she returned the pass O’Rourke whipped on it, sending the sliothar flying high into the Bunclody net again.
Nicole Fortune pulled back a late ‘ 45 for Bunclody but they looked down and out, behind by 6-1 to 0-3 at the break. Their impressive response bodes well for the future of this team.
It came after O’Rourke and Byrne added points at the start of the second-half, as Nicole Fortune pointed before pulling powerfully past Brídín O’Rourke for her side’s opening goal.
After she registered a couple of frees, the next from 20 metres out beat a crowded Kilrush goal-line.
When Kate Kirwan popped over a point, suddenly her side were within eight (6-2 to 2-7). Byrne and Sharon Sunderland steadied the ship, only for Deirbhile Ní Cheallaigh to pull Bunclody back into things with four minutes left.
Mags Byrne hadn’t seen much of the ball in the second-half, even in a deeper role, but after switching back inside, she won possession, sauntered away and put the game to bed with another cracking finish.
Mairéad Lancaster kicked home an injury-time goal to add further gloss to the Kilrush performance and, despite a late Kirwan major, her side were still able to celebrate a memorable success in style.
Kilrush: Brídín O’Rourke; Mairéad O’Rourke, Maura Kavanagh (capt.), Danielle Hayden; Gillian Kavanagh, Sharon Sunderland (0-1), Anne Byrne; Cathy Kavanagh, Mairéad Sheehan; Maryanne Sheehan, Anna Kinsella, Claire O’Rourke (1-1); Mag Byrne (3-3, 0-3 frees), Lorna Fortune (2-0), Charlene Hayden (1-0). Subs. - Mairéad Lancaster (1-0) for Kinsella (31), Catherine O’Mahony for M.A. Sheehan (48), Aisling O’Rourke for Byrne (60+3), also Maura O’Rourke, Aoife Kehoe, Julianne Nolan, Orla Fitzgerald, Celine Hayden, Naoise Hennessy, Chelsea Sunderland, Susan Byrne, Liz Whelan.
Bunclody: Róisín Kelly; Yvonne Kelly, Lisa O’Neill (capt.), Orla Doyle; Ciara Carroll, Rachel Kelly, Amy Coleman; Kate Kirwan (1-1), Aoife Mahon (0-1); Maeve Sinnott, Shauna Daly, Lisa Kelly; Leanne Kehoe, Nicole Fortune (2-6, 1-4 frees, 0-1 ‘45), Charlotte Redmond. Subs. - Deirbhile Ní Cheallaigh (1-0) for Coleman (31), Linda Byrne for Kehoe (47), also, Maria Carroll, Aine Kelly, Sinéad Kelly, Ciara Kelly, Jennifer Doyle, Sinéad Walsh, Kate Handrick, Laura Wade, Angie Kavanagh, Chloe Kenny, Irene Hayes, Lesley-Anne Kelly, Helen Crean, Róisín Nolan, Kayleigh Murphy, Ashling Dunne, Megan O’Neill, Rebecca Murphy, Kayla Nolan.
Referee: David O’Leary (Rathnure).