Hurling & Camogie

Derry camogs oust champions Antrim to claim Ulster minor crown

Ulster Minor Camogie Championship final: Derry 2-7 Antrim 1-3

DERRY are the Ulster minor champions for the first time since 2015, winning back the title at the expense of defending champions Antrim at windy and cold Owenbeg.

The Oak Leaf defence held firm throughout and, in difficult enough playing conditions, a second quarter scoring burst took them clear of the Saffron challenge.

Caitriona Toner and Aoife Doyle, who have shown good form with their school teams over the winter hit the two goals, while Roisin Gallagher was always a scoring threat at centre-forward.

Antrim’s defence also did very well, particularly Anna McNeill, Enya McShane and Brigid Delargy with the three Magill sisters and especially Áine providing a threat to the Derry goals.

There was just one score in the opening quarter a 45 pointed by Rachel Downey. However Caitriona Toner broke clear in the 15th minute, Orla Donnelly blocked her shot but Aoife Doyle swept home the rebound.

Toner and Roisin Gallagher (2) then pointed before a second goal from Derry, this time Toner hitting the net after good work from Doyle in the 29th minute.

There was still time before the break however for Áine Magill to break down the right wing and her hand-pass across the goals was first timed to the net by Roisin Ward, giving the Saffrons some hope on an interval score-line of 2-4 to 1-0.

Roisin Gallagher pointed on the re-start and Áine Magill replied at the other end during a period of good pressure from Antrim, but they could not close the gap.

Instead Gallagher pointed a free in the 40th minute and there were no further scores for 15 minutes when Riana McBride from a free and Bríd Magill took it to 2-6 to 1-3.

However any chance of Antrim salvaging a draw was nailed by a late free from Roisin Gallagher.

Derry: E Harkin, S Scullion, L Lennon, K Letters, L McErlain, C Ní Mhianáin, L Scullion, R Downey (0-1 free), A Cassidy, H Scullion, R Gallagher (0-5, 0-2 frees), CA Mullan, A Doyle (1-0), C Toner (1-0), B McCullagh.

Subs: C McCoy for L McErlain (38), A Lennon for H Scullion (45), L McBride for A Doyle (53), L Keenan for CA Mullan (58).

Antrim: O Donnelly, M Mooney, C Shannon, Bríd Magill (0-1), N Neeson, E McShane, A McNeill, R Ward (1-0), Á Magill (0-1), R McBride (0-1 free) K Laverty, C Hegarty, A Delargy, Bronagh Magill, R Bonnes.

Subs: B Delargy for N Neeson (23), M O’Boyle for R Ward (34), E Martin for M Mooney (37), C McGlinchey for A Delargy (53), KR Bell for R Bonnes (57).

Referee: M McCann (Armagh).

Tesco Senior A All-Ireland Final

Loreto [Kilkenny] 1-15 Presentation Athenry (Galway) 2-10

ALTHOUGH Loreto Kilkenny led by 1-12 to 0-4 four minutes into the second half of this Tesco Senior A Schools’ final in Banagher, they needed injury time points from Rachel Kelly and substitute Claire Doheny to win their seventh national title in 10 seasons.

Kilkenny got off to a flier with Hannah Kelly goaling after just two minutes and they quickly built on that to go 1-3 to 0-1 up after just five minutes.

Niamh Niland was Presentation’s only scorer during that first half, her four points divided equally between frees and open play.

Loreto led by 1-10 to 0-4 at the break with Rachel Kelly hitting the target four times, her sister Hannah claiming 1-2 and Emma Manogue picking off two points.

Emily Hughes and Rachel Kelly continued the onslaught with a point each on the re-start before a 39th minute goal from Niamh Niland ignited a comeback from Athenry.

Although Rachel Kelly responded with a pointed free, Niland hit five points up to the 54th minute to cut the gap to 1-13 to 1-9.

Then a 28th minute goal from Sabina Rabbitte really turned up excitement levels which reached fever pitch when Niland landed her tenth point to tie the scores at the start of stoppage time.

The momentum seemed to be with Presentation, but Loreto hit back for two very late scores to take a remarkable seventh crown, all of them achieved since 2010.

Loreto: Rachel Kelly (0-6, 0-2 frees), Hannah Kelly (1-2), Emma Minogue (0-2), Emily Hughes (0-2), Ciara O’Keeffe capt. (0-1), C Doheny (0-1)

Presentation: Niamh Niland (1-10, 0-8 frees), Sabina Rabitte (1-0).

Tesco Senior D All Ireland Final

Coláiste An Chroí Naofa Carrignavar (Cork) 1-12 Coláiste Mhuire Johnstown (Kilkenny) 2-3

Last year’s All Ireland winning minor captain Emma Murphy who recently made her senior debut with Cork senior team led Coláiste an Chroí Naofa Carrignavar to the Tesco Senior D post primary championship in University of Limerick on Saturday.

Murphy scored 0-9 during the game and dropped a free for substitute Danielle Foley to score the only goal of the game in the 47th minute.

Coláiste an Chroí Naofa : Danielle Foley (1-0), Emma Murphy (0-9, 0-4 frees), Lisa O’Riordan (0-1), Elizabeth McGrath (0-1)

Scoil Mhuire Mikaela Ryan (1-3, 0-1 free), Aoife Ryan (1-0)