Down Senior Camogie Championship
Ballyholland 5-13 Castlewellan 1-9; Clonduff 1-11 Liatroim 1-5; Mayobridge 1-4 Ballygalget 6-23
CLONDUFF will definitely be a contender for a ninth Down senior title on the evidence of this opening round defeat of last year’s beaten finalists Liatroim Fontenoys in Hilltown on Wednesday evening.
The visitors made them work for their victory however and had they been a little more accurate in front of goals particularly during the opening half, it could have been a closer game.
The Fontenoys shot several wides before Aimee McAleenan opened their account with a free in the 10th minute. By then Clonduff had recorded four points, including three from Paula O’Hagan.
Liatroim’s wayward shooting continued up until the break, by which time they had seven wides. Meanwhile, Beth Fitzpatrick’s 21st minute goal put Clonduff firmly in control and they led 1-7 to 0-2 when Sara Louise Graffin hit a point three minutes later.
There was a late rally from Liatroim with a goal from Denise Brown and McAleenan’s third point leaving them trailing 1-7 to 1-3 at the interval.
Niamh O’Toole saved a penalty in the second half, but Liatroim couldn’t take advantage at the other end as Clonduff closed down the game and moved the ball much smarter.
The experience of Paula O’Hagan and the Carr sisters, Antrim All-Ireland winner Clare Kearney and Down stars Beth Fitzpatrick and Isabella O’Hare meant that the Fontenoy's had to work harder for their scores with Aimee McAleenan, Karen McMullan and Kelly Duffin their best on the night.
The shock result of the opening round games came in Ballyholland, not so much that the home side won, but that they did so with so much to spare.
Danielle McCourt in goals, Aimee O’Hanlon, Michaela Fegan and Anna Mulholland all played well while up front Eimear Rushe and Katie O’Brien caused the Castlewellan defence all sorts of bother in the 5-13 to 1-9 victory.
The game was close enough up until half time however with Aoife Keown and Anna Rogan doing well for the Town who trailed by 1-8 to 1-4, the goal coming from Rogan.
However once Ballyholland started to find the net early in the second half, they pulled away and the result should buoy they up for the trip to the Ards’ next week to take on Ballycran, while Castlwellan will need to lift themselves to host Clonduff.
In the other section Ballygalget were expected to have too much fire-power for last season’s intermediate champions Mayobridge and that was how it turned out with the Ards’ side returning on the ferry with a comfortable 6-23 to 1-4 victory.
Despite a fine effort from Molly Smyth for Mayobridge. Tara Monan and the Savage sisters dominated the game with Monan top-scoring on 2-6, closely followed by Ciara Fitzsimons on 1-5.
The remaining first round game is in Ballygalget’s group on Sunday, when Portaferry get their first ever title defence off the ground with a visit to Cherryvale to take on Bredagh at 1pm.
Meanwhile tonight there are two games in The Elk Derry championship and Dunloy and Cushendall open the Travel Coaches Antrim championship in Loughgiel.
Elegant Gems Cavan Senior Championship:
Crosserlough 2-8 Castletara 0-6; Laragh 0-13 Denn 1-5
CLODAGH Keenaghan pointed defending champions Laragh United through their first game in the round robin series of the Cavan championship on Wednesday evening, shooting 11 scores from dead balls in a 0-13 to 1-5 win over a young Denn side. Her sister Aislinn supplied the other two points.
The Keenaghans had Laragh leading by 0-8 to 0-3 at the break with the goal-keepers, Jenny O’Rourke (Laragh) and Amy Kerrigan (Denn) very prominent. Indeed Kerrigan brought off two superb stops close to the end of the game, but it wasn’t enough to put Denn in with a chance of winning.
In the other first round game newly-promoted Castletara, another young team, gave a good account of themselves in the 2-8 to 0-6 defeat by Crosserlough who have had a strong representation on county panels over the past couple of years.
Cara Reilly’s goal edged Crosserlough into a 1-4 to 0-3 interval lead, but veterans Orlaith Prior and Fiona Lynch kept pushing Castletara and they narrowed the gap before Hannah Boylan’s goal clinched the win for Crosserlough for whom Sinéad McKenna and Orla Smith were excellent.
Castletara face Denn next Wednesday, while Crosserlough will play Laragh for a place in the final.
