Glynn-Barntown see off brave Oulart girls
A GALLANT Oulart-The Ballagh fightback was confidently repelled by Glynn-Barntown as they claimed the Wexford Premier Minor camogie championship title in Hollymount on Sunday morning last.
The Killurin club were probably slight favourites coming into the contest, despite the fact that their opponents sent a fancied St Martin’s side packing in the semi-finals. However, there was very little to choose between the teams over the sixty minutes.
Having a huge squad, like Glynn-Barntown do, seemed to be a big help for the champs. They brought on Alibeth Moran Curran at half-time and she was of the stand-out performers in the second period, clearing her sides lines on countless occasions.
As well as Moran Curran, they also introduced Holly Hynes and, while she didn’t score, her arrival started a spell that really saw Glynn motor into a position where they were able to absorb the blow of conceding a late goal.
For Oulart, it was a tremendous achievement to make the final and push the winners all the way with a squad of eighteen.
They have come on leaps and bounds to get to this position, which is hardly a surprise the way the club nurtures their talented young players.
Yet it was Glynn-Barntown’s day. They started with intent and top scorer Cora Doyle nailed her opening free inside sixty seconds.
Oulart responded with a Katie Roche point and took their only lead of the day when Sarah Figgis notched in the sixth minute.
Anais Curran is obviously a talismanic figure for Oulart but it was the play of Figgis that really caught the eye. Wearing that famous number 11 that’s usually reserved for Una Leacy or Ursula Jacob, the young forward motored around the half-forward line, damaging Glynn every time she touched the ball.
At 0-2 each after Emma Dempsey raised a white flag, the Wexford District side found a critical goal. It was intricate hand-passing involving most of the forward sextet that ended with Dempsey flashing low across goal to the bottom corner.
From that point on Oulart were always playing catch-up and could never regain parity. Curran and Figgis pulled them within one but Doyle popped over another free and Jessie Morrissey broke away to point.
The same Oulart-The Ballagh duo made it 1-4 to 0-6 as the game approached half-time but Doyle added her third free of the half in added-time, after Cora Rowe was bundled to the ground, to ensure that Glynn took a two point interval lead.
The second half was a tighter affair. Curran pulled a point back for Oulart in the 35th minute but it was countered in kind six minutes later by Emma Sweeney.
With the game meandering along, out of almost nothing Emma Sinnott forced Grainne McCabe into a tidy save with a low drive from a tight angle.
More good work by Rowe saw her winning another dead-ball and Doyle converted to make it 1-7 to 0-7 with ten minutes left.
It was all Glynn at this stage and they went close twice to wrapping up the title.
First Morrissey flashed a shot across goal and wide before Hynes saw her shot again saved by the excellent McCabe in the Oulart goal.
When Rowe was impeded again, Doyle increased the advantage to a game-high four with seven minutes left.
However, there was a twist in the tale. Again Joe Kelly was the centre of attention, giving a free to Oulart right in front of the goal, after consulting with both umpires, following a huge scramble in the square. Curran made light work of the crowded goalline and drilled home past Emma Kiely.
Oulart, playing with added impetus, swarmed around and wafted a couple of poor shots that failed to hit the mark. The next score was clearly going to prove vital and Cora Doyle got it after Emma Dempsey was fouled in the 58th minute.
The champions still had to endure the remaining time and the five minutes that were added but they managed to do just that without giving away a meaningful chance to take a deserved county title.
GLYNN-BARNTOWN: Emma Kiely; Niamh Buckley, Aisling Halligan, Eva Arthur; Eva Crean, Roisin Cooney, Caoimhe Neville; Clodagh Jackman, Emma Sinnott; Emma Goff, Emma Dempsey (1-1), Cora Doyle (0-6 frees); Emma Sweeney (0-1), Jessie Morrissey (0-1), Cora Rowe. Subs. Alibeth Moran Curran for Arthur (31), Holly Hynes for Goff (48), also, Lara O’Shea, Rebecca Fleming, Andrea Carley, Jess Howlin, Katie Barron, Clodagh White,
Anna Kearney, Niamh Cogley, Niamh Rowe, Katie Kehoe, Eimear Jackman. OULART-THE BALLAGH: Grainne McCabe; Rachel Sinnott, Mairead O’Brien, Niamh Dempsey; Saoirse Dunne, Aoife Dunne (joint-capt.), Eimear O’Connor; Michaela Hawkins, Anais Curran (1-3,
1-1 frees, 0-1 ‘45); Siobhan Sinnott, Katie Roche (0-1), Sarah Figgis (joint-capt., 0-3); Sarah O’Dowd, Lauren Sinnott, Sabrina Kehoe. Subs. - Sinead Mythen for O’Dowd (28), Ciara Blake for O’Dowd (31), also, Emma Moorehouse. REFEREE: Joe Kelly (Naomh Eanna).