Neighbours in stalemate
Aughrim and Annacurra draw
ANNACURRA AUGHRIM 1-6 2-3
NEIGHBOURS Aughrim and Annacurra got proceedings under way when Wicklow County Camogie Board hosted three adult county finals at Baltinglass on Saturday last.
The Granite Village girls and the Derrysiders met in the Junior final which began at 1pm.
Having already overcame their neighbours twice during the year, Annacurra were probably warm favourites to complete their third victory.
Aughrim, however, had other ideas and made a gallant effort to overcome the green and gold side. Between them the teams served up a well contested, exciting and very sporting battle.
A point from Aughrim’s Kate Campbell brought the sides level in the last few minutes to bring the game to a replay.
Aughrim put on a lot of pressure in the early minutes of the first half but failed to raise any flag.
Sarah Barnes opened the Annacurra account with a point after three minutes, Nicole Quigley added another two minutes later and when Grainne Quigley added another it looked like Annacurra were on their way.
However, Aughrim stuck gamely to their task.
Their defenders were marking very tightly and the Derryside attackers were given little room to get in shots. Gradually the Aughrim girls were coming more into the game with the O’Brien half back line fighting for every ball.
Ellen O’Hare, Emma Murphy and Sheenagh Byrne were getting on more ball and beginning to even up the flow of play.
Sheenagh Byrne got their first point after 11 minutes and added another from a free three minutes later.
The Aughrim full-forwards had been getting no change from a solid Annacurra full-back line of Nadie Fitzgerald, Eimear Gregory and Kali Thompson.
However, in the 16th minute, Annette Keenan gained possession inside the 13-metre line and out to the right.
She shot across goal and the ball went inside the left post for Aughrim’s and the game’s first goal. Aughrim were ahead 1-2 to 0-3.
The Annacurra girls fought back and Nicole Quigley reduced the lead to the minimum. Several long shots landed in on Tracy Harpur in the Aughrim goal but she dealt with them capably and several dangerous situations were cleared.
Half-time came with Aughrim ahead by 1-2 to 0-4.
There was stalemate in the early stages of the second half with no score until Sheenagh Byrne scored a goal direct from an outfield free after five minutes.
The Granite Village girls were now four points up and in a game where the marking was so tight, this was a good lead.
Annacurra came back but were finding it difficult to get past the Aughrim defence.
Aisling Shannon and Sarah Barnes had two points by fourteen minutes to reduce the gap to two.
The next ten minutes were scoreless as both sides fought hard for supremacy.
Annacurra were winning a lot of ball in the middle third of the field as Aughrim seemed intent in battening down the hatches and holding their lead.
Sarah Lifely, Emily Rose Byrne, Niamh Shannon, Sarah Barnes and Nicole Quigley kept running at the Aughrim defence but were unable to pass Aine O’Shea, Aoife Healy and the other defenders who were hooking, blocking and at all times keeping out the attackers.
With five minutes to go Annacurra were awarded a 20-metre free slightly to the right of goal.
Nicole Quigley shot low and goaled just inside right post. Annacurra were ahead by a point. Aughrim now needed to chase the game.
To their credit, they did and when Katie Campbell slotted over the equaliser a draw was on the horizon.
That’s the way it ended at 1-6 to 2-3 and they will need to go again.
Scorers – Aughrim: Sheenagh Byrne 1-2, Annette Keenan 1-0, Kate Campbell 0-1.
Annacurra: Nicole Quigley 1-2, Sarah Barnes 0-2, Grainne Quigley 0-1, Aishling Shannon 0-1,
Grace Harper; Ellen O’Hare, Aine O’Shea, Aoife Healy; Emer O’Toole, Niamh O’Brien, Doireann O’Brien; Emma Murphy, Kate Campbell; Katie O’Byrne, Sheenagh Byrne, Annette Keenan; Aoife O’Brien, Rachael Campbell, Erin O’Toole. Subs: Mia O’Connor, Aoife Bolger.
Natalie Bracken; Nadine Fitzgerald, Eimear Gregory, Kali Thompson; Cara Robinson, Grainne Quigley, Sarah Lifely; Emily Rose Byrne, Niamh Shannon; Grace O’Sullivan, Emma Doyle, Aisling Shannon; Sarah Barnes, Nicole Quigley, Alison Moules. Subs: Keelin Stafford.
Ciaran Goff (Éire Óg)