Future looks bright
Joy for Davidstown-Courtnacuddy
EVERYONE associated with Davidstown-Courtnacuddy must be optimistic of a bright future as their talented crop of minor ladies footballers overturned a five-point half-time deficit to take home the Division 3 Cup with a 3-10 to 2-8 victory over Baile Dubh Tire in Saturday evening’s entertaining county final played at a wind-battered St.Patrick’s Park.
The win sees the all-conquering girls from Boolabawn complete a remarkable championship double, two weeks after claiming the Roinn 2B Minor camogie title at Rapparees expense, quite the feat for one of the most progressive underage set-ups in the entire county.
And they were certainly made to do it the hard way, as the Duffry Rovers/Marshalstown combination had first use of the near gale-force wind blowing towards the dressing-rooms, and forged as far ahead as 1-6 to 0-2 in the second quarter.
The Roban cousins, Lauren and Ciara, done most of their scoring, with the former registering their opening point 35 seconds in, and the latter adding three more by the twelfth minute, and also assisting Laura Conroy soon after.
Anna Roche kicked Davidstown’s two points in that period, but a punt at the posts from Aoife Darcy carried in the wind and dropped to the net as the gap stretched to 1-5 to 0-2 by 15 minutes.
The power of the elements was illustrated again a minute later when it assisted in Niamh McHugh from pointing from near the corner flag. Davidstown had a fortunate goal of their own on nineteen minutes when Donna Delahunty’s free landed in the net after meeting resistance from the wind en route, and in hindsight that bit of luck had a huge bearing on the result given what transpired after the break.
Lauren Roban and McHugh had opened a 1-8 to 1-3 lead for Baile Dubh Tire at half-time, but they scored only once more as instead Davidstown completely transformed proceedings.
Just as a shower swept in to make conditions even more gruelling at the resumption, Katie Whelan made immediate inroads towards goal and emphatically finished across Aoife Dunne for an inspired goal.
Ava O’Connor and Delahunty (free) restored parity after 35 min- utes, while O’Connor became the latest beneficiary of the breeze as her shot flew all the way to the net to make it 3-5 to 1-8 four minutes later.
Two Whelan points and another from O’Connor had Davidstown in relative comfort, but Baile Dubh signposted their latent threat when Darcy whistled just wide of the post eleven minutes from time.
They did pull a goal back on 55 minutes when McHugh expertly tucked away a penalty after she was denied by a foot-block in the initial attack (3-8 to 2-8).
But O’Connor chipped over a nerve-settler for the victors two minutes from the end, while her shot came back off the post for Delahunty to seal the deal from the rebound as they hung on to cap a remarkable year. DAVIDSTOWN-COURTNACUDDY:
Taragh Cooper; Hollie Kelly, Ellie Jevens, Nadine Power; Lauren Delaney, Mairéad Crean, Tara Ennis; Donna Delahunty (1-2, 1-1 frees), Anna Jevans; Anna Roche (02), Jade Power (capt, 0-1), Amy Murphy; Catherine Moitie, Katie Whelan (1-2), Ava O’Connor (1-3). Subs: Aoibhinn Crean for Moitie (42), also Martha Dunne, Beth Murphy, Jamie Egan, Katie Roche, Mia Kelly (inj).
BAILE DUBH TIRE: Aoife Dunne; Keelin McHugh (capt), Leah Fitzhenry, Michelle Kearns; Laura Conroy (0-1), Shauna
Nolan, Aoife Codd; Geri Rose O’Connor, Katie Breen-Sherlock; Aisling Pender,
Ciara Roban (0-3), Rebekah Savidge;
Aoife Darcy (1-0), Lauren Roban (0-2), Niamh McHugh (1-2, 1-0 penalty). Subs: Roisin Murphy for Pender (42), also Orlagh Kehoe, Clodagh O’Leary, Aine Redmond, Amy Smith.
REFEREE: Barry Redmond (Clonard).