Duffry complete dream Under-14 year
A HIGHLY-COMPETITIVE Under-14 camogie championship Roinn 1B replayed final was ultimately defined by the dead-ball accuracy of Katie Bates, whose goal direct from a free nine minutes from time gave Duffry Rovers a dramatic 3-6 to 2-5 victory over Oylegate-Glenbrien in Farmleigh recently.
After Oylegate-Glenbrien had built an early 0-2 to 0-1 lead, the game’s first significant moment came on 13 minutes when Duffry captain Katie Breen-Sherlock’s delivery bounced to the net, with the in-rushing Rebecca Codd seeming to unsight goalkeeper Chloe Murphy.
That goal looked to be the difference at the break until Ciara Hennessy off-loaded to Orla Red- mond, who fizzed to the top corner of the net with the penultimate puck of the half to restore parity at 1-3 apiece.
Play was largely encamped in the Duffry’s half for most of the second period, with Redmond (free) restoring Oylegate-Glenbrien’s lead and Hennessy scooping to the net after Hannah Mernagh had hit the post for a 2-4 to 1-3 lead 13 minutes from time.
However, the Duffry dramatically turned the tables amid heightening tension, as a free from Bates sailed all the way to the net for the leveller. She added two further frees to strengthen their hand, while Anna Roban’s lift and strike to the net a minute from time capped a memorable year for the club.
Duffry Rovers: Lauren Smyth; Emilia Fortune, Heather Boyce, Lucy McCarthy; Isobel Kavanagh, Katie Breen-Sherlock (capt., 1-0), Michelle Kearns; Abigail Cullen, Anna Roban (1-0); Laura Conroy, Katie Bates (1-5 frees), Aoife O’Leary; Rebecca Codd, Lauren Roban (0-1), Jessica O’Donovan. Subs. - Róisín Dobbs for O’Leary, Anna Kinsella for O’Donovan, also Ciara Tobin, Katie Bowe, Libby Cullen, Maeve McCarthy, Jennifer McGrath-Kerins, Brianne Kavanagh.
Oylegate-Glenbrien: Chloe Murphy; Maria Downes, Sarah Cosgrave, Elisha Dempsey; Rioghna Hourihane, Polly Frost (0-1 ‘45), Ciara Lawlor; Blathnaid O’Leary, Mary Moran; Caitlin Curran, Hannah Mernagh (capt.), Kellyanne Dempsey (0-1 free); Hannah Byrne, Ciara Hennessy (1-0), Orla Redmond (1-3, 0-2 frees). Subs. - Kate Freeman, Annaleis Doyle, Abbie Hall, Karen Hayden, Rachel Hayden, Emma Lawler, Aisling Murphy, Laura O’Brien, Ellen O’Gorman, Ava Whelan.
Referee: Aiden O’Brien (Cloughbawn).