Alliance All Ireland Post Primary School Senior B Camogie Final
Colaiste Mhuire Johnstown 2-10
Mercy College Roscommon 2-07
Match Report by Jerry Drennan.
First Half
In an absolutely brilliant game of camogie played at Saint Rynagh’s GAA pitch in Banagher on 15th February, Colaiste Mhuire Johnstown fought to the very last and came out deserving winners over a gallant Mercy College Roscommon team.
Colaiste Mhuire set the early pace with points by Michelle Killeen from a free after a foul on herself. Then Michelle delivered a ball into her club mate Abby Whitty for the second Colaiste Mhuire point. Kayla Dwyer then put over a point after a foul on Aoibhe Bourke and midfielder Sinead Kirby from the Harps Club soloed it in from the left and put over a very good point from the left, leaving the score 0-0 to 0-04.
It was 11 minutes before Hazel Kelly, centre-half forward for Mercy College Roscommon, opened their account from a free but a minute later the same player, Hazel Kelly soloed 30 metres from the right hand side and buried a ball past Mia Henderson in the Colaiste Mhuire net to level the game 1-01 to 0-04 points.
In the 20th minute of the first half, an Abby Whitty delivery was collected by Aoibhe Bourke of Colaiste Mhuire. She hand passed the ball across the face of the goal where Lily Cleere gathered the ball, turned and stuck it in the corner of the net, 1-04 to 1-01. Michelle Killeen added with a point but Kayla Dwyer lost the chance to go well ahead when a penalty just barely went wide.
Roscommon finished the first half by scoring when Síofra Hession, their tall full forward, scooped the ball over the bar to leave it at 1-05 to 1-02 at half time.
Second Half
The Roscommon midfielder Kaitlin Egan opened their scoring in the second-half after a good pass by their best player Hazel Kelly.
Colaiste Mhuire’s Michelle Killeen responded from a free after a foul. But then Hazel Kelly set off again on a solo and from 14 metres out buried a ball into the Colaiste Mhuire net once more for her second goal of the day to level the game, 2-03 for Mercy College Roscommon, 1-06 for Colaiste Mhuire after 40 minutes of play.
Kelly put the Roscommon girls ahead after 2 minutes, 2-04 to 1-06. Roscommon were now on top and were very very good at midfield. Their Lily Murray was excellent, while Anna Hussey and Laura MacSharry also did their best.
But for Colaiste Mhuire Johnstown there were some superb performances, particularly from Sinead Kirby at centre field who worked her socks off all day, or Orla Brophy at left half back with Lorraine Bergin. Also very good was Ciara Joyce from the Emeralds, who cleared an awful lot of ball. Up front it was Michelle Killeen and Abby Whitty who were leading the way while Taylor Corbett worked her socks off.
It was Abby Whitty who got the levelling point in the 50th minute after a super intelligent cross by Taylor Corbett 1-07 to 2-04. From here to the end Colaiste Mhuire really upped their game with their half-forward line dropping deep to help out the defence.
A long free by Orla Brophy went over the bar in the 53rd minute. Kaitlin Egan responded for Roscommon after a solo and a strike off the hurley, leaving it 1-08 Colaiste Mhuire, 2-05 for Mercy College.
In the 56th minute a 65 meter free by Orla Brophy dropped two metres from the Mercy College goal and it was Aoibhe Bourke from the Emeralds Club who pulled first time to rifle the ball to the roof of the net for the deciding score of the game to put Colaiste Mhuire 3 points ahead at 2-08, 2-05.
Kaitlin Egan responded from play for Mercy College Roscommon. A closing point by Abby Whitty of Colaiste Mhuire, which was deflected over the bar by the Roscommon goalie, and a super point by Taylor Corbett for the left wing put Colaiste Mhuire in control. It saw them end up good winners 2-10 to 2-07 after a tremendous game of camogie.
Best for Colaiste Mhuire were Ciara Joyce and Orla Brophy in defence, Sinéad Kirby at midfield, Michelle Killeen with four points up front and Abby Whitty with three points, while Taylor Corbett also worked really hard for Mercy College Roscommon, Anna Hussey, Lily Murray, Hazel Kelly and Síofra Hession did best but on this occasion it was Colaiste Mhuire who came out tremendous winners to put their name for the first time on the Senior B Camogie Trophy.
Final Score:
Colaiste Mhuire, Johnstown, 2-10
Mercy College Roscommon, 2-07.
Teams:
Colaiste Mhuire Johnstown: Mia Henderson (Harps), Ciara Joyce (Emeralds), Kayla Dwyer (Harps), Emma O’Connor (St Lachtain’s) , Katie Dunphy (Tullaroan), Lorraine Bergin (Harps), Orla Brophy (Harps), Sinéad Kirby (Harps), Ciara Townsend (Harps), Lillian Cleere (Emeralds), Michelle Killeen (St Lachtains), Catherine Kirby (Harps), Aoibhe Bourke (Emeralds), Abigail Whitty (St Lachtains), Taylor Corbett (Gortnahoe Glengoole)
Mercy College Roscommon: Molly Finneran, Eve Connaughton, Mia White, Ciara Killeen, Maria Bolger, Grace Geraghty, Anna Hussey, Lilly Murray, Kaitlin Egan, Alannah Sutton, Hazel Kelly, Laura McSharry, Tara O’Brien, Síofra Hession, Katie Kenny.
