Ulster Junior Camogie semi-finals Derry 4-9 Antrim 0-3
DERRY’S junior camogie side stayed on course to complete a league and championship double by dominating Antrim in a lacklustre provincial semi-final in Loughgiel on Saturday evening.
However, despite their dominance, they found scoring difficult, particularly in the first half when Ciara McKinley, the daughter of Derry manager Dominic, was in superb form in the Antrim goals.
Derry led by 0-5 to 0-0 with only two minutes remaining in the first half when captain Mary O’Kane playing at fullforward, eventually breached the Antrim lines to shoot two goals inside 60 seconds
A third goal – also from Mary O’Kane – in the early minutes of the second half killed the game and allowed Derry to take a 20 minute nap and left Antrim space to register three unanswered points.
However, Claire McNicholl in the final minute crashed home another Derry goal to emphasise their earlier dominance on the scoreboard.
Derry: Aileen Crilly, Claire Scullin, Grainne Maguire, Nuala Rankin, Kathy McDonnell, Siobhan Convery, Anna O’Loughlin, Roisin McCloskey, Martina Mulholland (0-5), Shauna McCaul, Aileen Tohill, Aileen O’Kane (0-3), Claire McNicholl (1-0), Mary O’Kane (3-1), Karen Rafferty. Subs: Orla Downey for K Rafferty (40) Eimear Lee for K McDonnell (50).
Antrim: Ciara McKinley, Brona McShane, Claire Maguire, Jenny Flynn, Maureen Duffin, Ciara McGinley, Geraldine McGarry, Roisin Duffin, Nadine McCorry (0-1), Catherine Scullin, Kerri O’Neill (0-1), Mairead O’Connell, Aine Marie Totten, Elaine Dowds (0-1), Triona McAteer. Subs: Bronagh Burns for J Flynn (20), Brenda Kearns for A M Totten (halftime).
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Tyrone SFC Omagh 2-10 Drumquin 0-13, Carrickmore 2-9 Clonoe 1-6
Omagh set up the chance to exact revenge on Ardboe
TWO first half goals gave last year’s beaten finalists Omagh the platform on which to build a victory which carries them through to the quarterfinals of the Tyrone Senior Championship and a chance to gain revenge on their conquerors in last year’s decider, Ardboe.
Niall McSorley gave Omagh a dream start when he blasted in a goal after just a minute, and when Keith Burns nipped in to fist a second in the 18th minute, it looked all over for Drumquin.
But, led by brilliant left half-back Liam Patterson, they fought back confidently and trailed by 2-6 to 0-7 at the interval.
Points from Ryan McCallion and substitute Aidan McCrossan helped them reduce the deficit to just a goal, but Omagh sensed the danger and hit back, winning vital frees which Conal Sheridan converted, and they managed to hold out for a slender victory.
Carrickmore also made it through to the last eight at the second attempt when they had six points to spare over Clonoe in a second round replay at Dungannon.
It was in a blistering first half that they laid the foundations for victory, racing into a 10-point lead, which was always going to be too much for Clonoe to claw back.
Man of the match Brian Gormley cracked home the first goal after just three minutes, and Gabriel McCallan added another seven minutes before the break to make it 2-4 to 0-0.
Clonoe still trailed by 10 at half-time (2-6 to 0-2), but staged a second half revival with points from Sean Corr and Martin Hughes.
They managed to close the gap to five points, but any chance they had of staging a meaningful revival disappeared when Hughes hammered a penalty against the crossbar eight minutes from the end.
Omagh scorers: N McSorley 1-2, K Burns 1-0, C Sheridan 0-5, B McGinn, B Eccles, S Meyler 0-1 each.
Drumquin scorers: R McCallin 0-5, I Patterson, J O’Kane 0-2 each, M O’Kane, N McCallion, P Scully, A McCrossan 0-1 each.
Carrickmore scorers: B Gormley 1-4, G McCallan 1-0, P Loughran 0-5.
Clonoe scorers: R O’Neill 1- 0, M Hughes 0-4, S Corr 0-2.
