Hurling & Camogie

Camogie: Reports from Antrim, Derry and Down Championship action

Antrim Senior Championship semi-final

Loughgiel 4-15 Cushendall 1-3; Ballycastle 1-8 Dunloy 1-6

BALLYCASTLE played magnificently for 45 minutes of their Antrim senior semi-final in Ballymena on Saturday evening, and yet were almost lucky to get away with a two points’ victory.

Their first half performance was top drawer despite falling behind to a brilliant point from Michaela Elliott right on the side line. From then until the 43rd minute Ballycastle kept Dunloy scoreless.

Catherine McShane, Kathryn Donnelly, Enya McShane and Niamh Donnelly as sweeper were in control while everyone fought for every ball all over the park.

The icing on the cake in that opening half in particular was the elegance, style and accuracy of pacey forwards Caoimhe Wright and Maeve Kelly who fired over some excellent points from play as the Town went into a half time lead of 1-8 to 0-1.

Wright scored their first four points, three of them frees from distance, while the three scores before the water break were breath-taking, two from Kelly with Wright taking her fifth point in the 16th minute.

Wright had a speculative effort from a long way out in the 24th minute and it went all the way to the Dunloy net as several players contested it on the edge of the goal area. She added a free in first half injury time to cap a wonderful first half.

Although Ballycastle picked up where they left off during the third quarter, they could not add scores as the Dunloy defence began to get to grips with the situation, Eilis Kearns, Chloe Drain, Kathryn Mullan and Caoimhe Molloy all growing in stature as the half progressed.

But Ballycastle still looked good at the second water break, 1-8 to 0-2 ahead. However their failure to add to their total allowed Dunloy to close in. Caoimhe Molloy, sub Bronach Magill, Aileen McManus and Aine Magill all pointed and then a goal from a scramble just in front of Becky Ellis and the margin was two points as the game entered four minutes of added time. However the Ballycastle defence held out to reach their second successive decider and fourth in six years.

There is no surprise that seven-in-a-row chasing Loughgiel will be there as well, after the Shamrocks pulled away from Cushendall in the second half to secure a 4-15 to 1-3 win with all but two points coming from open play.

Chloe Higgins, Amy Boyle, Anna Connolly and Caitrin Dobbin all shone with Dobbin’s goal opening a gap that stood at eight points by the half way stage.

Further goals from Boyle, Orlagh Laverty and Connolly sealed victory to set up next Sunday’s derby decider.

Ballycastle: Caoimhe Wright 1-6, 0-4 frees, Maeve Kelly 0-2

Dunloy: Aine Magill 1-1, Aileen McManus 0-2, 0-1 free, Michaela Elliott 0-1, Caoimhe Molloy 0-1 free, Bronach Magill 0-1

Loughgiel: Caitrin Dobbin 1-5, Amy Boyle 1-1, Orlagh Laverty 1-1, Anna Connolly 1-0, Roisin McCormick 0-3, Lucia McNaughton 0-3, Christine Laverty 0-1, Racquel McCarry 0-1.

Cushendall: Dervla Cosgrove 1-0, Orlagh O’Hara 0-3.

Down Senior Championship Final

Clonduff 2-10 Ballygalget 0-8

EXPERIENCE was the key element in Clonduff retaining their Down senior championship title in sunny Ballycran on Sunday afternoon.

Sara Louise Graffin grabbed the two goals, one at the start of each half, to make Ballygalget’s task more difficult and the second, less than half a minute into the second half was a knock out blow.

The Ards’ challengers, in search of a second county title 52 years after the first, were taking the game to Clonduff in that opening half, but the Shamrocks’ tightened their grip on the play after the second goal and conceded just one more point, a free from Erin Hagan a couple of minutes after the goal.

Sara Louise, her sister Fionnuala, Paula O’Hagan, Jenna Boden and Clare McGilligan were strong throughout and Ballygalget’s attempts to develop play was stifled although Tara Monan showed that she will be a star of the future.

Tara was early on the score-sheet for the Mitchel’s, as was Beth Coulter whose point after nine minutes put her side 0-3 to 0-2 ahead. Then came the first of Sara Louise Graffin’s goals to put Clonduff ahead.

Ballygalget refused to buckle and came back with a series of frees from Erin Hagan to tie the teams at 0-7 each at the change of ends.

The second goal came very early, but this time Clonduff upped the ante and points from Paula O’Hagan, one from play, the other from a free, opened a gap.

In the final quarter the holders shut up shop and O’Hagan, Graffin (2) and Clara Cowan scored on the break to seal a fourth successive title.

Clonduff: Sara Louise Graffin 2-2, Paula O’Hagan 0-5 4 frees, Isabella O’Hare 0-1, Hannah McAteer 0-1, Clara Cowan 0-1

Ballygalget: Erin Hagan 0-5 frees, Tara Monan 0-1, Beth Coulter 0-1, Nicole Braniff 0-1.

Derry Senior Championship

Swatragh 4-19 Bellaghy 0-12; Slaughtneil 6-35 Newbridge 0-0

THERE were no shocks in the two preliminary round games in the Derry senior camogie championship at the weekend with All-Ireland club finalists Slaughtneil and last season’s beaten Derry finalists Swatragh both easing their way into the semi-finals this weekend.

Swatragh led at the break by 2-7 to 0-7 with goals from Gráinne McNicholl and Dara McGuckin against a youthful Bellaghy side that saw a good performance from Anna Cassidy at midfield.

McNicholl and McGuckin added further goals during the second half as Swatragh set up a semi-final with Lavey this Friday on a final score-line of 4-19 to 0-12.

The other game at the weekend was even more emphatic with Newbridge failing to score and Slaughtneil almost doing as they wanted to make it through to a semi-final this Friday against Ballinascreen. That will be a repeat of last year’s final.

Antrim Intermediate Championship Final

Tír na nÓg 0-7 Rossa 0-7

NEITHER Rossa nor Tír na nÓg did themselves justice in this Antrim Intermediate final in wet and slippery conditions in St Enda’s on Saturday afternoon.

The exchanges were very tough and there was little open play after the first ten minutes during which Tír na nÓg threatened much, but could not deliver enough scores. Rossa soon got to grips with Aine Devlin, Emily Falloon and the bursts of Cameron McGaughey from defence.

But at the other end of the field, they found it very difficult to make any headway against the Randalstown defence and there was not one clear cut goal chance created over the hour – by either team.

The game developed into a contest between the free-takers. Áine Devlin didn’t miss one within range over the hour and added two points from play, book-ending the opening half. Rossa had a mixed bag from placed balls and tried three different free-takers.

However the Shaws’ Road girls eventually got the equaliser a few minutes from time when Orla McCall’s 45 seemed to be drifting wide but was kept in play. Natalie McGuinness was bottled up, but got the sliotar released to Mairiosa McGourty who clipped it over the bar.

So a replay on Saturday, hopefully in drier conditions and the opportunity for both to show their true potential.

Meanwhile in the Antrim Junior decider last year’s beaten finalists Creggan led by 1-4 to 0-4 at the break against St John’s Belfast on their way to a 3-11 to 0-5 victory.

Ciara McCollam, Cerys O’Neill and Ruby Marie Rice scored the goals that takes Kickham’s into the Ulstger series for the first time in 40 years.

Rossa: Natalie McGuiness 0-4 frees, Máiríosa McGourty 0-2, 0-1 free, Sarah Armstrong 0-1.

Tír na nÓg: Aine Devlin 0-7, 0-5 frees.