Carnew show class in Junior camogie final
Impressive performance secures the Junior crown
CARNEW EMMETS 2-14 BALLINACOR 1-4
JUNIOR by name but most certainly not Junior by nature might be an apt way to sum up this humdinger of a battle between Carnew Emmets and Ballinacor in Pearse’s Park last Sunday morning in the first of three county camogie finals of the day.
The score line doesn’t do Ballinacor’s effort in this game any justice whatsoever but it also doesn’t flatter Carnew Emmets in any way as they were full value for their 2-14 to 1-4 victory thanks to a very impressive display of hurling over the course of the hour that suggests a very successful stint in Intermediate before more success to quickly follow.
Tom Darcy, Vinnie Munroe and Vicki Mulhall had this Carnew team absolutely rearing to go and had instilled in them a steel and a solidity that has been missing for a number of years.
In Aoibheann Myers they have a serious hurler, teak tough, sublime stick work, excellent control and striking and just the right amount of ruggedness that makes her a nightmare for any defence.
All over the field they have warriors. Their full-back line of Aoife Darcy, Ann Cumiskey and Sophie Doran never relented for the entire game, with Darcy playing a captain’s part, disrupting Ballinacor attacks, chasing, harrying, blocking and making an absolute nuisance of herself.
A very solid half-back line was complimented by a hard-working midfield and then we were into the finishers of the half-forward and full-forward line. Nicole Curran was superb from start to finish, bagging four points and finishing one-handed to the back of the net
for their second goal.
It didn’t happen for Mollie Mulroe on the day but the talented young hurler will have better days ahead no doubt and the strength in depth was abundantly obvious when Maire Deegan came in and took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Caitlin Hughes was class, Sinead Kinsella a workhorse while Ella Doran covered acres of ground and launched a multitude of attacks through her strong
running and impressive striking.
Ballinacor captain Michelle Fitzgerald opened the scoring with a monster free from out near the sideline on the stand side but outstanding play from Nicole Curran allowed her the chance to point from a tricky angle to level matters early on.
Carnew were looking a little sharper even at this stage and with Caitlin Hughes punishing every error from the frees and Sinead Kinsella walloping home an early
goal they soon led by 1-3 to 0-1 after 13 minutes.
But Ballinacor are not a bad team, they are the exact opposite. Sarah Nolan pointed just before the water break and although Hughes added another for Carnew on the restart, a wicked goal from Michelle Fitzgerald made it 1-4 to 1-2 after 25 minutes.
In terms of hurling ability, Aoibhinn Myers looked a step ahead out on the field and she rifled over after a one-two with Ella Doran to
make it 1-5 to 1-2, and Carnew would finish the stronger with points from Hughes (free, after a foul on Nicole Curran) and Curran herself after a class catch from Helen Hughes to leave it 1-7 to 1-2 at the break with Ballinacor missing some chances that were not of the easy variety to be fair.
Dora Burke’s women needed a bright start to the second half but they got the opposite. Nicole Curran, Ella Doran, after a stunning run, Curran again and substitute
Maire Deegan, who possessed the biggest heart on the field, made it 1-10 to 1-2 and left Ballinacor with a significant gap to close given the context of the game at that time.
Sheila Holt pulled one back from a free she won herself but the writing was very much on the wall when Nicole Curran controlled a ball from Maire Deegan with one hand on the hurl before finishing it past Danielle Burke with another one-handed stroke for the killer score of the game. The foraging of Shauna Keogh out around the middle shouldn’t be overlooked when praising this fine score.
Aoibhinn Myers made it 2-11 to 1-3 at the second water break and an outstanding Maire Deegan score shortly afterwards made it 2-12 to 1-3 after 20 with Aoife Darcy shining bright in defence in the face of strong Ballinacor attacks.
Danielle Burke would move outfield having replaced Mary Holt in goas from the start and she fired over what could only be considered as a consolation point at this stage, and further points from Caitlin Hughes and Aoibhinn Myers (free) concluded the scoring and left Carnew Emmets to be crowned as the deserving Junior camogie champions of Wicklow for 2020.
CARNEW EMMETS: Máire Doran; Aoife Darcy, Ann Cumiskey, Sophie Doran; Charlotte Myers, Helen Hughes, Alanna Dagg; Naoise Hodgins, Shauna Keogh; Nicole Curran (1-3), Aoibhinn Myers (0-3, 1f), Mollie Mulroe; Caitlin Hughes (0-5, 3f), Sinead Kinsella (1-0), Ella Doran (0-1). Subs: Maire Deegan (0-2) for M Mulroe (25), Kayleigh Kavanagh for N Curran (53), Orlaith Molloy for N Hodgins (56), Aoife Doran for S Kinsella (58), Jessica Kinsella for C Hughes (58).
BALLINACOR: Danielle Burke (0-1); Jessica Carter, Christine Carter, Aoife O’Brien; Katie Toomey, Christine Carter, Natalie Farrell; Tanya Carter, Siobhan Toomey; Sarah Nolan (0-1), Pamela Maher, Sheila Holt (0-1, f); Sophie Bergin, Michelle Fitzgerald (0-2, 1f), Katie Mundow. Subs: Aoife Clarke for J Carter (26, inj), Alice Daly for A O’Brien (40).
REFEREE: Max Molloy (Annacurra)