Antrim Fire Stop & Seal Ltd Senior Camogie Championship semi-final: Ruairí Óg Cushendall 1-10 Rossa 0-11
RUAIRÍ ÓG Cushendall will not mind one bit that this opening Antrim Fire Stop & Seal Ltd Senior Championship semi-final in Ahoghill on Saturday was high in endeavour but low in quality as they qualified for their first county senior final since 2000.
Sinéad Cosgrove’s eighth minute goal proved the difference between the teams although there were claims as the game rolled into injury-time that a speculative shot from the excellent Orla McCaul had come off the frame of the Cushendall net and not a post for play to continue.
Rossa will look back on some misdirected efforts at scores over the course of the second half during which they scored just two Bronagh Orchin frees, one at the start and the other at the end of the half.
In between Cushendall did enough to reel in their interval lead of a single point and open a three-point lead, mainly through frees from Orlagh O’Hara (3) and Dervla Cosgrove.
Rossa gained a foothold in the game after some Cushendall misses and with Orla McCaul in excellent form, Natalie McGuinness making some penetrative runs and Orchin tapping over the frees the city side took a 0-9 to 1-3 lead closing in on the break.
However Orlagh O’Hara closed the gap with one from play and another from a free to leave the minimum between the sides with wind-advantage to come for the ‘Dall.
However they failed to push on, due mainly to a battling defensive performance from the Quinns and Caragh Shannon. But they did manage to tap over enough scores to take them through to the final on Sunday week.
Ruairí Óg: N Cosgrove, A McClafferty, C Kearney capt., C McKillop, C Patterson, L McMullan, C McNaughtnon, D Cosgrove (0-2 frees), S McKillop (0-1), O O’Hara (0-6, 0-5 frees), E Leech, N McCurry, C O’Hara, S Cosgrove (1-0), B Abram.
Rossa: C Doherty, D Lees, C Shannon, E Matthews, C Quinn, M Quinn, C McNeice, O McCall (0-2), N Killen, E Byrne (0-1 free) N McGuiness (0-2), B Orchin capt. (0-5 frees), M Rainey, G Connolly (0-1), S Armstrong
Sub: A McCaul for M Rainey (49)
Referee: John McHenry (Ballycastle)
Antrim Fire Stop & Seal Ltd Senior Camogie Championship semi-final: Loughgiel 5-17 Dunloy 0-3
Loughgiel Shamrocks haven’t lost a game in the Antrim championship since losing to Saturday’s opponents Dunloy on in August 2013 – and once Roisin McCormick hit the net in the sixth minute, the run was set to continue.
The Shamrocks pushed on and led by 3-4 to 0-2 at the break, the other goals coming from Racquel Murphy and a long distance effort from Emma McFadden.
With the wind behind them in the second half, they were able to add a further 2-11, while Dunloy’s response was their only score from play from sub Caitlin Crawford early in the half.
Despite the best efforts of Chloe Drain and Caoimhe Conlon, Loughgiel finished the game with nine different players making the score-board and they must be strong favourites to collect their fifth successive title
Loughgiel: M Coyle, C Campbell, L Connolly, F McVeigh, M Lynn, M Connolly, A Boyle, E McFadden 1-0, C Boyle, R McCormick 2-6, L McNaughton 0-1, C Laverty 0-2, A McFadden 0-3, R Murphy 1-0, C Dobbin 1- 3
Subs: E McMullan 0-1for F McVeigh, C Higgins 0-1 for R Murphy
Dunloy: A Scott, A Laverty, L Elliott, K Mullan, L Reid, S Conlon, K Boyle, C Conlon, K Laverty, N O`Neill 0-2, D Elliott, M Martin, C Drain, D Magill, J Dixon
Subs: L McAllister for A Scott, C Crawford 0-1 for D Elliott, E Kearns for J Dixon, M Elliott for D Magill
Referee: Michael Hardy: St.Mary’s Rasharkin
