The Elk Complex Derry Senior Camogie Championship Final: Slaughtneil 2-15 Swatragh 3-12 (AET)
THEIR Derry and Ulster titles looked to be toppling when Slaughtneil trailed by three points deep in injury time of a totally absorbing The Elk Complex Derry senior final on Saturday evening.
They needed something special against a defiant performance from Swatragh and, as has been their norm in tight games over the last five seasons, they got it with Carla McEldowney gliding clear and firing to the corner of the Swatragh net for a late, late goal that sent the final to a replay for the first time since 1997.
Swatragh will get all the plaudits for taking their parish rivals to the brink over 80 plus minutes of a nerve-wracking game; Dervla O’Kane and teenager Bronagh McCullagh in the middle of the field, the McNicholl sisters and Dara McGukin just some of their stars.
But they also were living on the edge when they trailed by two points at the end of normal time as the champions came back from a bad start to take control.
Louise Dougan was supreme once more in a sweeping role that she has made her own, Shannon Graham and Aoife Ní Chaiside again carrying the game to the opposition while the seven points that Sinéad Mellon and Céat McEldowney accumulated between them proved crucial at the end.
Both teams played better against the breeze and Swatragh were quickly out of traps with 1-2 from Gráinne McNicholl giving them an unexpected lead by the first water break.
The stoppage however reinvigorated Slaughtneil who had lost captain Gráinne Ní Chatháin after just six minutes. Shannon Graham and Cliodhna Mulholland took a grip at midfield and by half time they had swung the game decisively with a 0-10 to 1-4 lead with a run of seven unanswered points from Sinéad Mellon, Céat McEldowney, Olivia Rafferty and Louise Dougan.
The intensity increased for the second half and that inevitably had an adverse impact on the frequency of scores. Swatragh closed in to leave a gap of a point before Aoife Ní Chaiside surged forward and off-loaded for Josie McMullan to goal in the 46th minute.
The Davitt’s didn’t buckle and a goal from Dara McGuckin in the 55th minute closed it down to a single point game once more.
Louise Dougan pointed for the sixth time to increase that gap, but injury-time points from Shannon Kearney and Máiréad McNicholl added another 20 minutes to the afternoon.
That extra time provided yet more drama with Carla McKeagney finding the net for Swatragh and suddenly the shock of the season looked on.
They looked to be holding under intense pressure until Slaughtneil found the little extra they needed with Carla McEldowney rescuing them with a last gasp goal.
This epic will be talked about for a long time. Neither side deserved to lose it. The next instalment will take place on Saturday afternoon.
Slaughtneil: Josie McMullan (1-0), Carla McEldowney (1-0), Louise Dougan (0-7, 0-5 frees), Sinead Mellon (0-4), Céat McEldowney (0-3, 0-1 free), Olivia Rafferty (0-1).
Swatragh: Grainne McNicholl (1-2), Carla Keagney (1-0); Dara McGuckin (1-0), Shannon Kearney (0-3 frees), Dervla O’Kane (0-3), Mairead McNicholl (0-3), Noeleen McKenna (0-1)
Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim)
