Hurling & Camogie

Cross and Passion, Ballycastle camogie side edged out of All-Ireland Schools final place

All-Ireland Schools’ A semi-final: St Angela’s, Waterford 2-9 Cross and Passion, Ballycastle 2-4

There will be a new name on the trophy for the All-Ireland Junior A championship after St Mary’s, New Ross came through their semi-final with St Brigid’s, Loughrea and St Angela’s Ursuline Convent became the first ever Waterford school to reach an A grade final by taking out last year’s beaten finalists Cross and Passion, Ballycastle at the Waterford IT grounds on Saturday

However had the Ulster champions been more accurate from placed balls they might well have stayed in contention long enough to get over the line. Having said that Becky Ellis was busy – and excellent – in goals for a good part of a closely-fought encounter.

Elsewhere Enya McShane, Katie Laverty, Cassie McArthur and Nuala Devlin had excellent games for CPC while Aoife Fitzgerald’s accuracy from frees kept her team just ahead.

Riana McBride opened Ballycastle’s account with an early point and the visitors had a couple of goal chances before Ursuline’s got their chances. Aoife Fitzgeral’s point was quickly followed by a goal from Clodagh Curham and still only 6 minutes played.

Aine Magill hit back with a fine individual point and the teams were level at 1-2 each after Annie Lynn cut through the Waterford defence for a goal.

Play after that became a little fractured with only three more points scored before the break, the home side taking a single point lead into the second half.

However they opened up a match-winning gap by scoring 1-4 without reply during the third quarter, Alisha Flynn the goal-scorer.

Katie Laverty moved into defence and sub Fionnuala Kelly added energy and Alicia Butler’s goal eight minutes from the end gave them a life-line.

However St Angela’s pulled back sweepers and Aoife Fitzgerald cemented her team’s position with a late free.

CPC: B Ellis, C McArthur, M McGarry, E Kyle, F Toner, C Laverty, C Hegarty, K Laverty, E McShane, A Butler 1-0, A Lynn 1-0, N Devlin, A Magill 0-1, R McBride 0-2, 0-1 free, O Laverty

Subs: F Kelly 0-1 for C Heggarty, C O’Kane for A Butler

St Angela’s: E Gallagher, H Leamy, L Hogan, S Cantwell, S Farrell, S Maher, J Tuohy, C Carroll, H Ryan, R Walsh, Abby Flynn 0-2, C Hoctor, Aleisha Flynn 1-0, A Fitzgerald 0-7, 0-4 frees, C Curham 1-0

All-Ireland Schools’ Junior D semi-final

Coláiste Phobal, Ros Cré 2-4 St Mary’s, Clady 1-6

St Mary’s, Clady were denied victory in this All-Ireland semi-final in St Cronan’s Roscrea on Saturday by a 56th minute goal from Fiona Scully.

Emma Harkin had initially saved the first effort from Ciara Sammon but Scully followed in to scramble over the line. It was a cruel end for the visitors who had held the lead from the 35th minute when Bronagh O’Neill scored their only goal.

That goal put them 1-5 to 1-3 ahead, but Sammon closed the gap with a free only for the excellent Roisin Gallagher to hit back with a point. That was how the score stood until Scully’s late opportunism put paid to St Mary’s chances.

The early part of the game was well contested with Clady probably slightly the better team and Roisin Gallagher proving a handful for the home defence.

The Bellaghy ace hit four of their five points in the first half, and the other came from Roisin Loughlin. A goal from Ciara Sammon in the 21st minute meant that An Phobalscoil went in at the break 1-3 to 0-5 ahead.

O’Neill’s goal early in the second half edged Clady ahead but they couldn’t hold on and it’s Roscrea who will meet Clarin College in the final after the Connacht champions’ saw off Laois’ Heywood CS by 0-9 to 1-3.

St Mary’s, Clady : E Harkin, S McAtamney, M Mooney, E Convery, M McIlvar, T McErlean, E Graham, Shannon O’Neill, M Mullan, A Cartmill, R Gallagher 0-5, A Marron, Sian O’Neill, R Loughlin 0-1, B O’Neill 1-0

Subs: C O’Kane for B O’Neill

Colásite Phobal Ros Cré::E Doughan, A Maher, J Cleary, A Ryan, L Ryan, E Gleeson, K O’Meara, S Shanahan, K Hogan, R Conlon, O Phelan, C Flannery, A Scully, F Scully 1-1, C Sammon 1-3