O’Neill to the ‘four’ for Donard

DONARD-GLEN GLENEALY 5-8 2-12

THIS Senior Camogie Championship match was literally a game of two halves. At half-time Glenealy had Donard, all but dead and buried in this action-packed encounter.

Somehow the visitors found away back into the game with a mind-blowing third quarter.

This was championship at its best, no love lost on the field, with a number of yellows dished out but hand shakes all round at the end. Then throw in two of the best sharpshooters in the country, Glenealy’s Laura Manley and Donard’s Kellie O’Neill for good measure.

Glenealy were looking to add Donard’s scalp to Ballinacor’s who Glenealy beat in their opening round. While Donard, mightly relieved with their opening win got over the line, they know one has to play for 60 plus minutes, not 30 minutes if one wants to get to the latter stages.

The home side got off to a flying start from the throw-in where Laura Manley sent in a great pass to Aoibheann O’Neill who laid off to Erynn O’Brien who was fouled.

Up stepped Laura Manley to tap over the free for the opening score of the evening. Vicky Coen won the puck-out and found Aoife Weir, who handpassed to Lottie Cullen who finished with a superb strike to the net in the third minute for the first major of the game.

Claire Whelan fired over a point for Donard in the next attack to stem the Glenealy tide. Laura Manley landed two pointed frees as Glenealy were firing on all cylinders as they upped the ante. Vicky Coen raised another green flag as her shot from 45 metres out, crashed into the top corner. Manley added another brace of points as the Glenealy lasses were destroying the Donard half back line.

Sophie Mills sent over a longrange point before Jessica Driver saved brilliantly from Mills in the next attack. Sophie picked up a yellow card for a robust tackle. Amy Irwan and Manley increased the lead to 2-07 to 0-02 for the home side with 20 minutes on the clock as manager Joey Driver rallied his troops on, who were coasting.

Donard manager, Clare man, Caiman Kiely sprang Nora O’Neill from the bench at this stage, as they were being torn apart. Why is it always the poor corner forward, that seems to be the first substitute in all codes of our games, when the backs are been eaten alive?

Claire Whelan pointed two beauties of long-range points for Donard. Yet again, Glenealy fired over two more points from Manley and Erynn O’Brien. Nora O’Neill dropped in a free to the 14-metre area, where Kellie O’Neill doubled on the sliotar and bulged the Glenealy net in the 30th minute. Claire Whelan pointed another free after Erynn O’Brien picked up a yellow for a heavy chop, as the half time whistle sounded with Glenealy 2-09 to 1-05 in front.

Donard must have got one hell of a full blown “Davy Fitzgerald” like team talk at half time from 1 to 15 as in the next couple of minutes they tore into their opponents and made inroads into the lead big time.

Nora O’Neill brought much-needed leadership into this Donard side. Claire Whelan fed Kellie O’Neill a sublime pass who fired in a sweet knee high shot, which rattled Jessica Driver’s net in the 35th minute.

Unbelievably no one saw this coming, Kellie O’Neill landed her hat-trick in the next minute after Nora O’Neill yet again was the supplier.

Sensationally, you could not make this up, Kellie O’Neill “this girl is on fire” landed her fourth goal of the match, three between the 35th and 38th minute to leave it 2-08 to 4-05 for a three point lead as Donard came back from the brink. Donard dominated midfield with Sile Whelan and Linsay Quinlan to the fore and then Kellie O’Neill added another brace of points for Donard to close out the third quarter.

Glenealy would not go down without a fight though. Aoibheanne O’Neill took the paint of the wrong side of the post as a goal chance went a begging to let Donard off the hook.

Vicky Coen took the game by the scruff of the neck and was spraying an endless supply of ball into the danger-zone, but full-back Eimear Miley was like a rock, clearing everything that came her way.

Laura Manley pointed a longrange free from an acute angle as Glenealy found momentum at midfield again. However Miley and Aoife Grace were lording anything Glenealy literally threw at them.

Jessica Driver brought off a powerful save from a Hannah O’Neill shot. Erynn O’Brien fired over a point after good stick work by Lisa Hogan.

Vicky Coen looked like she had a certain goal but Mary Whelan pushed the power button, to brilliantly tip the sliotar out for a 45 just to keep Glenealy at arm’s length, who now were in full flight but could not crucially add to their tally.

Claire Whelan pointed before Chloe Dwyer booted in Donard’s fifth major to effectively kill off the home side.

Laura Manley fired over a smashing point from 60 metres out for the final score of this breathtaking game in front of a very vocal crowd as the full-time whistle sounded.

Scorers – Glenealy: Laura Manley 0-09 (4f), Lottie Cullen 1-00, Erynn O’Brien 0-02, Amy Irwin 0-01.

Donard-Glen: Kellie O’Neill 4-02, Claire Whelan 0-05 (2f), Chloe Dwyer 1-00, Sophie Mills 0-01.