Very Ireland Camogie League
Division 2A round two: Derry 2-16 Laois 2-8
DERRY returned to winning ways in this re-arranged game on an excellent surface in TUD on Wednesday evening.
They have now moved closer to a place in the Division 2A final with Kerry, but still need to get something from the final game with Meath tomorrow week.
There were plenty of changes from Saturday’s defeat to Kerry and that meant much more bite up front from the Ulster side.
Rachel Downey at half-back was probably player of the match and the midfield pairing of Dervla O’Kane and Áine McGill were very strong particularly during the opening half, with Áine McAllister leading the attack.
McAllister scored the opening three points, which were followed by another from Áine McGill and then a goal from Gráinne McAtamney, all before Andrea Scully opened Laois’ account with a point after 15 minutes.
The rest of the half was more or less score-for-score with McAllister’s goal coming in the 27th minute, but still leaving time for Gráinne Delaney to reply at the other end and send the teams in at 2-7 to 1-3.
Briefly in the early stages of the second half, through a goal from Gemma Hoare, Laois looked threatening, and closed the gap to 2-8 to 2-4.
However, three points in a row from McAtamney and McAllister (two) helped Derry pull away again and they finished the game strongly with points from Aoife Shaw, McAllister and sub Aimee Lennon.
SCORERS
Derry Á McAllister 1-8; G McAtamney 1-1; A Shaw 0-3; M McNicholl 0-2 (0-1f); Á McGill & A Lennon 0-1 each
Laois G Delaney & G Hoare 1-0 each; A Collier 0-3 (0-2f); A Scully 0-2; E Hassett, C Tynan & A Walsh 0-1 each
Division 3B round three: Antrim v Clare (Friday, Dunsilly, 12.30pm)
ANTRIM sit top of Division 3B after two games. The caveat, though, is that the two teams they still have to meet, Clare and Dublin, are also unbeaten with just one game each played and Clare ran in 0-17 against 1-3 from Limerick, a team Antrim beat by 0-10 to 1-5.
There is also the All-Ireland semi-final between Antrim and Clare last July that required two sessions of extra-time before the Saffrons came out one-point winners.
Clare seem to have had less upheaval than Antrim to their team since that duel in high summer.
Only seven of Antrim’s All-Ireland junior-winning team played in the Offaly game two weeks ago, with four moved up to the senior panel, a few others out of the picture due to work commitments and a couple of others carrying injuries.
A few more from the minor-winning team of 2021 have come into the side, while Eavanne Martin (Maghera) and Sarah Fyfe (Ballymena) have joined the panel after their school commitments ended.
This St Patrick’s Day meeting in Dunsilly will therefore be a big challenge for Antrim, who have home advantage after two away games.
Clare, however, are favourites and the Saffrons will do well to get anything from this tie.
