The Elk Derry Senior Camogie Championship
Group A : Slaughtneil 2-19 Bellaghy 0-6
Group B: Ballinascreen 0-6 Swatragh 0-10
THE two teams that contested the recent senior league final in Derry were in action in The Elk Senior Championship at the weekend and both won their ties although the games turned out to be polar opposites of each other.
Slaughtneil, chasing an eighth successive title, impressed in Emmet Park against a very young Bellaghy side. With 12 of the starting team under 20 years of age, Bellaghy struggled with the experienced champions who played a lot of diagonal ball into the speedy forward line, linked up well for hand passes through the centre and managed to shoot 14 wides but still win by 2-19 to 0-6.
Róisín Cassidy and Eimear Doherty did well on a busy night in the Blues’ defence while Órlaith Hull was impressive up front. Both Hull and Doherty picked up their GCSE results last Thursday.
Most of the Slaughtneil team have three All-Ireland medals at home and they started impressively with quick points from Tina Bradley, Eimhear McGuigan and Sinéad Mellon.
But points from Rachel Downey and Hull (free) gave Bellaghy a foothold in the game and it was just 0-6 to 0-3 after 20 minutes.
However, the home team conjured up a goal a minute later. The move involved Olivia Rafferty and Eimhear McGuigan putting Clíodhna Ní Mhianáin clear to give Amy Cassidy no chance and Slaughtneil pushed on to lead 1-10 to 0-3 at the break.
They quickly stretched that with two more Bradley scores and one from Rafferty before Bellaghy hit their best patch, holding Slaughtneil scoreless for 15 minutes and adding three Órlaith Hull points from frees.
However, the home side hit back in the last ten minutes with seven unanswered scores including a goal from Sinéad Mellon in the 52nd minute.
Slaughtneil’s second group win puts them straight into the semi-finals on October 1st, while Bellaghy must pick themselves up for next week’s home tie against Eoghan Rua.
Friday night’s other game was an arm wrestle in Ballinascreen where Swatragh prevailed on a 0-10 to 0-6 scoreline with only six of the scores coming from open play.
Yes, the defences were packed and it was Swatragh who gained more frees within scoring range, Máiréad McNicholl firing over seven from placed balls and one from open play.
Ballinascreen had the edge for most of the first half, but two late frees from McNicholl turned the sides around with Swatragh 0-4 to 0-3 ahead.
Three points from McNicholl in the opening five minutes of the second half opened a gap between the teams and Ballinscreen never looked like closing it as the game became more scrappy and referee EP Cassidy issued a total of eight yellow cards in the second half alone.
Swatragh entertain Lavey in the final group game on Friday evening with the winner joining Slaughtneil at the quarter-final stage and the loser back in action on September 17 in the quarter-finals.
Slaughtneil scorers: S Mellon (1-3), C Ní Mhianáin (1-1), Tina Bradley (0-11, 0-5 frees), O Rafferty (0-3), E McGuigan (0-1).
Bellaghy: Ó Hull (0-5, 0-4 frees), R Downey (0-1).
Ballinascreen: Á McAllister (0-3 frees), E McGuigan (0-1), L Murphy (0-1), B McGillian (0-1).
Swatragh: M McNicholl (0-8, 0-7 frees), G McNicholl (0-1), D O’Kane (0-1).
