Ibar’s avail of purple patch
IBAR’S/SHELMALIER DUFFRY ROVERS 2-7 2-2
A PURPLE patch either side of half-time proved to be significant as St. Ibar’s/Shelmalier claimed the Under-14 camogie Roinn 1A championship title at the second attempt with a 2-7 to 2-2 victory over Duffry Rovers in the replayed county final on the upper pitch in Oulart.
As is so often the case when teams resume rivalries after a drawntie,theexchangeswereextremely competitive early on, with both defences in stellar form as the play moved up and down the pitch without many interruptions.
NiamhHearnehadopenedthe scoring for the Hollymount-based girls after two minutes, but Duffry Rovers raised the game’s first green flag three minutes later when Lauren Smyth’s free from out the field deflected off a barricade of hurlsandnestledinthenet.
Saoirse Banville responded with a free for St. Ibar’s/Shelmalier on 17 minutes before Hearne ran through the heart of the defence and lofted an excellent equalising point soon after.
However, Smyth’s placed-ball acumen came up trumps for Duffry Rovers again when she dropped a free towards the goalmouth and Niamh Doyle was on hand to swipe the loose ball home to make it 2-0 to 0-3 after 23 minutes.
The former also posted a closein free as they moved four clear approaching half-time, but St. Ibar’s/ Shelmalier turned the game on its head with a run of 1-2 without reply.
Lucy Roche teed up Chloe Whelanforapoint,andwhenBanville caught Whelan’s delivery, she fired home a game-altering goal to make it 1-5 to 2-1 by half-time.
And Banville showed ice-cool composure to convert two placed balls after the break (one free and a ‘45) as the gap suddenly grew to 1-7 to 2-1 by the 34th minute.
Meanwhile, substitute Zara Corrigan was prominent as the ball was crossed for Whelan to lashtothenetforwhatprovedto be their final score.
Smyth pegged back a point from a free for Rovers, and it must be noted that the St. Ibar’s/ Shelmalier goal survived a few dangerous launches forward as their rivals threw everything they had at the victors without avail.
All credit must go to both teams, though, for serving up an exciting encounter despite the slippy underfoot conditions following the incessant rain in the county a day earlier.
St. Ibar’s/Shelmalier: Laura Wilson; Emily O’Reilly (joint capt.), Aoife Cullen, Caoimhe Tobin; Niamh O’Brien, Grace Harding-Kenny (joint capt.), Ellie Roche; Muireann Lanigan, Clara O’Leary; Saoirse Banville (1-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘45), Niamh Hearne (02), Lucy Roche; Ruth O’Leary, Chloe Whelan (1-2), Orlaith Hearne. Subs. - Zara Corrigan for O’Leary (HT), Cara Parker for O’Brien (48), Amy Cullen for O. Hearne (53), also Anna Dempsey, Maria Coone.
Duffry Rovers: Ellie Watchorn; Eva Nolan, Heather Boyce (capt.), Aimee Neville; Eimear Tobin, Katie Bowe, Kaylee Doyle; Lauren Smyth (1-2 frees), Róisín Dobbs; Libby Nolan, Anna Roban, Libby Cullen; Niamh Doyle (1-0), Carla Cloney, Cerys Fortune. Subs. - Maeve McCarthy, Naomi Kavanagh, Eabha Roche, Caitlin Doyle, Elle Jackson, Jessica Bolton-Lee, Anna Kinsella, Lucy O’Toole, Charley Fitzhenry, Heather Bolton-Lee, Nicole Cullen.
Referee: Patrick Kennedy (Buffers Alley).