Armagh City Hotel Ulster Club Junior A Camogie Championship final
Granemore (Armagh) 2-13 Ahoghill (Antrim) 0-8
A GOAL from Kate Smith late in the first half was the key score in this final in the Loup.
All-Ireland title-holders Granemore had held the lead from the first minute, but Ahoghill were gaining in confidence until the goal opened an interval lead of 1-7 to 0-5.
The Armagh side weathered the third-quarter storm and then pulled away with an unanswered 1-4 in the final 10 minutes to clinch their second successive title and keep them on course to retain their All-Ireland crown.
Rachael Merry opened the scoring from a free and player-of-the match Corrina Doyle and Kate Smith quickly added to that score for the holders to go three up before Noreen Graham opened Ahoghill’s account.
Granemore went on to lead by 0-5 to 0-1 before Ahoghill got to grips with the challenge, holding them scoreless from the 13th to the 27th minute and closing the gap with two Caitríona Graham frees and an excellent point from Aisling O’Donnell.
However, Granemore finished the half strongly with points from Merry and Jordan Carr, before Gráinne McWilliams picked out Merry with a long clearance from defence. Merry fired a superb diagonal pass to Kate Smith for the first goal.
Caitriona Graham started the second half with a point for Ahoghill and she and Maura Downey then traded points with Rachael Merry to leave it 1-9 to 0-8 going into the final quarter.
Doyle then picked off her third point and victory was assured when sub Lucy Doyle’s shot looped off Áine Graham and into the net after 55 minutes.
Merry raced through for three late points to give the scoreboard a rather more emphatic look than probably reflected the exchanges.
Granemore’s experience was a factor. They started and finished strongly, while Ahoghill were really chasing the game throughout.
Scorers
Granemore R Merry 0-7 (0-2f); K Smith 1-1; L Doyle 1-0; C Doyle 0-3, L Carr & J Carr 0-1 each
Ahoghill C Graham 0-5f; A O’Donnell, N Graham & M Downey 0-1 each
Armagh City Hotel Ulster Club Junior B Championship final
Naomh Treasa (Tyrone) 3-8 Middletown (Armagh) 0-9
GOALS either side of half-time from player-of-the-match Róisín McErlean turned this game emphatically in favour of Naomh Treasa, Dungannon who went on to become the first club to take the title twice.
The Tyrone side got off to a flying start with points from Laura Barker and Cara Little in the first three minutes. However, Middletown settled after that with Orlagh Rafferty and Jenny Curry scores and the teams traded points up until the opening goal when Roisín McErlean sent in a long delivery for Little to blast home from close range after 23 minutes.
McErlean’s first goal a couple of minutes from the short whistle was rather fortunate, her shot coming back off a post and then off a defender and over the line.
That meant that the Tyrone champions led by 2-4 to 0-5 at the break and the second goal from McErlean five minutes into the second half left Middletown far too much to do.
Jenny Curry, from frees, and points from Laoise McConnell and Orlagh Rafferty took the gap down to five points with five minutes to go, but Naomh Treasa finished strongly with points from goalscorers McErlean (two) and Little to line up the Leinster champions in an All-Ireland semi-final at the end of the month.
Scorers
Naomh Treasa R McErlean 2-4 (0-2f); C Little 1-2 (0-1f); B Jones 0-2
Middletown J Curry 0-5 (0-4); O Rafferty 0-3; L McConnell 0-1
Bridie McMenamin Shield semi-final
Greenlough 7-12 Newry Shamrocks 6-3
Greenlough set up a final with Éire Óg, Carrickmore in the Bridie McMenamin Shield when they came out the right side of a high-scoring semi-final with Newry Shamrocks on Saturday.
Shamrocks full-forward Louise Kinney scored a hat-trick of goals in each half and unbelievably finished on the losing side in Greenlough.
The home side led by 4-8 to 3-0 at the break, the goals from Áine McPeake (two), Clare Henry and Leah Marron, while teenager Aoife Rocks fired over four late points.
Despite the huge threat from Kinney at the other end, Greenlough pushed on during the second half, with Keelin Marron providing a boost from the bench with two goals and a point, while Shannon O’Neill was the other goal.scorer. The final will take place on November 23.
Scorers
Greenlough K Marron 2-1; Á McPeake 2-0; L Marron 1-1; S O’Neill & C Henry 1-0 each; C Kerr (2f) & A Rocks 0-4 each; C Marron 0-1
Shamrocks L Kinney 6-1; S Gorman 0-2
