Martin’s on the way to Croker for All-Ireland
Dream realised as super second-half seals final place
ST. MARTIN’S 0-11 INNISCARRA (CORK) 0-5
ST. MARTIN’S saved their best for a tough second-half against the elements in Carriganore on Sunday to beat Inniscarra and advance to the AIB All-Ireland Senior club camogie championship final.
The Piercestown-based side looked to have plenty of work to do after going in at the interval just 0-5 to 0-4 to the good.
However, the Cork women were no match for the Leinster champions after the re-start as six Chloe Foxe frees sent them to victory with plenty to spare.
Territorially this game wasn’t even close. Despite scoring four of their five points in the first-half, Inniscarra were living off scraps.
They did take the chances that arose, promising something better with the wind advantage, but it never materialised.
On the evidence of this 60 minutes, this was probably the weakest side St. Martin’s have faced since the group stages in the county championships. Inniscarra would be hard pressed to beat any of St. Martin’s last three opponents - Rathnure, Oulart-The Ballagh or Thomastown - on this performance.
It was very much the Wexford club’s own fault that the game was close at the intermission. They wasted a string of good chances, and while some were forced miscues by an energetic opposition, often they just arose from poor shooting.
A nervous St. Martin’s were leading by 0-1 to nil after five minutes, with Chloe Foxe on target from a free, but their taliswoman was already one for five in shooting accuracy after firing three wides and crashing another free off the upright.
Inniscarra hadn’t ventured near the opposition goal until Niamh McCarthy got the better of Noeleen Lambert in the eighth minute. The Cork forward got behind the St. Martin’s defence and was hauled down for a penalty.
Niamh Dilworth beat Mags D’Arcy with her shot but Lambert atoned for the error, saving on the goal-line.
The forward did reclaim possession after it had been cleared and levelled the scores from in front of the posts.
Aileen Shannon converted from Katie O’Mahony’s handpass in the tenth minute as Inniscarra seemed to settle. However, St. Martin’s were soon back on the offensive and started to mix a few points in with their misses.
Lettie Whelan was first to find the target with a classy point from the right wing. She did miss a short time later, as did Amy Cardiff, but Linda Bolger and Chloe Foxe hit the target to increase the lead to 0-4 to 0-2 after 15 minutes.
It was in and around this time that it became evident that there was a problem with the scoring of the game. The scoreboard came late to the party and displayed the incorrect score from the moment it lit up.
Connected to the referee by headsets, the word twice came from the linesman that the scoreboard was correct and the issue - an extra Inniscarra point - remained until half-time. Dilworth pulled one back from a ‘45, but St. Martin’s almost nabbed a critical goal.
It was probably their best bit of play all game, as Emma Codd and Lettie Whelan linked up, and fed Foxe into the clear. She shot early and with power but Sheila Walsh, who was impressive throughout, made a fine low save.
Ellen Murphy levelled the scores for the third and final time in the 28th minute, but St. Martin’s ended the half on the front foot and took the lead through Foxe in added time.
By the start of the second-half the score was corrected to 0-5 to 0-4 in the Wexford club’s favour.
In the end it wouldn’t matter. Inniscarra fell into a whirlwind of errors, gave away countless frees, and St. Martin’s prospered.
Foxe looked far more comfortable with her frees into the breeze and scored two by the 38th minute to make it 0-7 to 0-4.
Dilworth missed two good chances in quick succession to close the gap, with her side already appearing to fray at the edges.
If anything, St. Martin’s had further upped their intensity levels in the second-half and were playing with great confidence, nobody more so than Foxe as she converted a superb free from the right sideline to leave her side ahead by double scores (0-8 to 0-4).
With Rena Buckley trying to do everything herself, St. Martin’s continually bottled her up and Inniscarra had little inspiration.
Foxe made it a five-point lead at the end of the third quarter, and St. Martin’s continued to suck players back to fill the gaps in defence.
The Leesiders had one chance when Murphy broke away, but she took the safe point rather than heading closer and going for the goal her side desperately needed.
It left four in the contest again (0-9 to 0-5), but Inniscarra never looked like closing the gap further. In fact, if anyone had another gear it was the victors but they just coasted along in fourth into the final ten minutes.
They nearly put the result beyond doubt when Aisling Cronin just missed a diving touch on Whelan’s hopeful pass, but Foxe did manage two further dead-ball scores to send St. Martin’s into the final with plenty to spare.
In the decider the Piercestown/ Murrintown side will face reigning double All-Ireland champions Slaughtneil of Derry who beat Ardrahan in a dour 0-8 to 0-4 battle. The final is scheduled for Croke Park on Sunday, March 3.
St. Martin’s: Mags D’Arcy; Aisling O’Connor, Noeleen Lambert, Marie Claire Morrissey; Áine Ennis, Katie O’Connor (capt.), Mary Barrett; Ciara O’Connor, Ella O’Connor; Amy Cardiff, Linda Bolger (0-1), Chloe Foxe (0-9, 8 frees); Lettie Whelan (0-1), Anna Hennessy, Emma Codd. Subs. - Aisling Cronin for Hennessy (31), Lauren Carty for A. O’Connor (48), Lisa Firman for Barrett (58), Amy Ryan for Codd (60).
Inniscarra: Sheila Walsh; Rebecca Quigley, Caitlin Looney, Áine O’Regan; Rebecca Keane, Rena Buckley, Rosie O’Mahony; Katie O’Mahony, Erin Looney; Treasa McCarthy (capt.), Niamh Dilworth (0-2, 1 pen., 1 ‘ 45), Aileen Sheehan (0-1); Jenny Burke, Niamh McCarthy, Ellen Murphy (0-2). Subs. - Claudia Keane for Burke (41), Mary Buckley for T. McCarthy (53), Liz Hayes for Murphy, inj. (60+3).
Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim).