Teamkit Antrim Senior Camogie Championship: Loughgiel 6-10 Dunloy 0-8; Ballycastle 0-8 Cushendall 2-15
NEWS of Loughgiel’s demise has been greatly exaggerated. After a draw with Cushendall and a less than convincing win over Ballycastle, people were speculating that a more impressive Dunloy were ready to take advantage.
It looked like they might be right when the challengers opened the scoring with points from Katie Molloy, Áine Magill and Eobha McAllister. However Cáitrín Dobbin goaled in the ninth minute to level and that was the signal for Loughgiel to take control.
Further goals followed from Róisín McCormick and Annie Lynn and the Shamrocks had clocked up 3-6 before Nicole McAtamney eventually responded with Dunloy’s fourth point in the 29th minute.
Anna Connolly hit the net in the 39th minute and Loughgiel responded to Dunloy’s only second half point from play via Áine Magill in the 46th minute by sending Lucia McNaughton through for their fifth goal.
Substitute Marie Laverty completed an impressive showing from the Shamrocks with the sixth goal in the 54th minute and they look to have booked themselves into another final.
Cushendall assured themselves a spot in the semi-final when they outscored Ballycastle by 1-11 to 0-1 in the second half of their tie in McQuillan Park.
Ruairí Óg got the perfect start with a third minute goal from Eva McNeill. The teenager then added two points from frees to put them four up after seven minutes. Ballycastle rallied however and five points from Elen McIntosh brought the teams level at the break, 1-4 to 0-7.
However the second half belonged to the visitors who reeled off 11 scores in a row before McIntosh hit back with her team’s only score in the 59th minute. There were three points each from second half sub Orlagh Burke and free-taker Brogan Abram before Siobhán McKillop’s goal in the 52nd minute sealed the win.
Cushendall have completed their programme and will now play in the semi-final against the winner from next weekend’s game in Dunloy where Ballycastle are the visitors.
Loughgiel: R McCormick (1-7, 0-6 frees), C Dobbin (1-1), A Lynn (1-0), A Connolly (1-0), L McNaughton (1-0), M Laverty (1-0), C McKillop (0-1), C Laverty (0-1)
Dunloy: N McAtamney (0-4 frees), Á Magill (0-2), K Molloy (0-1), E McAllister (0-1)
Cushendall: E McNeill (1-2, 0-2 frees), S McKillop (1-0), K McNeill (0-3), O Burke (0-3, 0-1 free), B Abran (0-3 frees), C O’Boyle (0-2), O McAlister (0-1), D Cosgrove (0-1).
Ballycastle: E McIntosh (0-6, 5 frees), F Kelly (0-1), M Kelly (0-1)