Hurling & Camogie

Steely Slaughtneil retain All-Ireland camogie crown

AIB All-Ireland Senior Camogie Club Championship final:

Slaughtneil (Derry) 2-11 Sarsfields (Galway) 1-9

THE PIVOTAL moment in this exciting AIB All-Ireland Senior Championship final at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones on Saturday arrived in the 44th minute when Shannon Graham picked up possession near the 65 and raced directly down the middle of the Sarsfields' defence. She was pulled to the ground and Cork referee Cathal Egan spread his arms for a penalty.

Louise Dougan stepped up and rifled her shot to the roof of the net, opening up a 2-8 to 1-7 lead for the defending champions and there was little chance her team would allow the Galway side to wrestle back control of the game.

It was a wonderful display of steely determination from Slaughtneil, combined with good game management, no little skill and a ferocious work-rate.

Slaughtneil closed out the game with two frees from Tina Hannon either side of a fine point from Siobhán McKaigue.

Five added minutes were signalled and Sarsfield’s won a number of frees in scoring positions during that time. Maria Cooney pointed one, and drove three more on goal, but the Cassidy sisters and Louise Dougan took care of them and Slaughtneil were back into the history books as the first Ulster team to successfully defend the title.

Slaughtneil: J Bradley, C McGrath, B Ní Chaiside, Dervlagh McGuigan, E Ní Chaiside, A Ní Chaiside, G O’Kane, D McGuigan, L Dougan (1-0 pen), S Graham, T Hannon (1-7, 0-5 frees), S McKaigue (0-1), T Mellon (0-2), J McMullan, S Mellon.

Subs: C McEldowney for S Mellon (52), A McGrath for Denise McGuigan (56), B McAllister for T Mellon ((60+2)

Sarsfield’s: Y Lyons, R Murphy, L Ward, A Spellman, T Kenny, C McGrath, E Leslie, K Gallagher, N McGrath (0-2, 0-1 free), M Cooney (0-1 free), O McGrath (0-1 free, S Spellman, S Cannon (1-1), S McGrath (0-3 frees), R Murray 0-1.

Sub: K Donohue for N McGrath inj (40), E Larkin for Leslie inj (60+4)

Referee: C Egan (Cork)