The Elk Derry senior camogie championship semi-finals: Slaughtneil 4-17 Lavey 0-7; Swatragh 1-15 Ballinascreen 1-7
THERE were no shocks in Foreglen in the semi-final double-header of The Elk Derry senior camogie championship on Saturday; another Slaughtneil v Swatragh derby final is the outcome for the last Sunday in October.
Slaughtneil, yet again, were the more impressive winner with their opponents Lavey in trouble as early as the fourth minute when Eimhear McGuigan released Tina Bradley to fire to the roof of the net.
Aoife Shaw had opened the scoring with a good point for Lavey. When she nabbed their second score in the 7th minute, Slaughtneil had hit 1-3 and there was also another 1-3 before Maria Rafferty took a third score for the Gulladuff side. This time Tina Bradley released Sinéad Mellon to fire under Mary O’Kane in the 18th minute for the goal.
The champions, chasing eight title in-a-row, led by 2-6 to 0-4 at the break and quickly extended their lead with a range of points from Bradley, Cliona Mulholland and Olivia Rafferty, before sub Chantelle McEldowney slotted home a fourth goal. Bradley iced the cake when Louise Dougan found her with a clever reverse pass for the fourth goal in the 59th minute.
Earlier in the afternoon, Swatragh got the perfect start with two quick points from Dara McGuckin followed by a Gráinne McNicholl goal after a good move involving her sister Máiréad and Chloe Bradley.
However Ballinascreen were back in the game in the 11th minute when an effort for a point from Eimhear McGuigan was blocked down for Brónagh McGillian to force over the line.
There was now a gap of a point between the teams and that remained the case until five minutes before the break when a late flurry of scores opened a 1-11 to 1-4 gap. Máiréad McNicholl grabbed three of those points and Dara McGuckin two.
Swatragh controlled the second half into the breeze with McNicholl adding two more frees and an excellent angled point from play to bring her personal total to eight points, while the Davitt’s defence handled anything the ‘Screen could throw at them.
Slaughtneil: T Bradley (2-8, 0-2 frees), S Mellon (1-2), C McEldowney (1-0), C Mulholland (0-4), O Rafferty (0-3).
Lavey: A Shaw (0-6, 0-5 frees), M Rafferty (0-1).
Swatragh: G McNicholl (1-1), M McNicholl (0-8, 0-6 frees), D McGuckin (0-4), D O’Kane (0-1), N McKenna (0-1)
Ballinascreen: McGillian (1-0), Á McAllister (0-5 frees), M Heggarty (0-1), J Donnelly (0-1).
