AIB All-Ireland Club Senior Camogie Championship semi-final
Loughgiel (Antrim) 3-9 Sarsfields (Galway) 1-16
FOR a huge chunk of this game in Kingspan Breffni, Loughgiel looked as if they were going to break Sarsfields’ wonderful record in AIB All-Ireland senior semi-finals of having reached the decider each time they have collected the Galway title.
Loughgiel got off to a super start, hitting three goals in the opening quarter, and led by 3-3 to 0-3.
The three-times All-Ireland champions whittled the nine-point lead down to four at the break, but never got ahead of the Ulster title-holders until a point from Caoimhe Kelly in the 60th minute.
Player-of-the-match Siobhán McGrath added a point from a difficult enough free in the next minute and Róisín McCormick pulled one back with a minute and a half left of the five added minutes.
But the Shamrocks just couldn’t get clean possession over the time remaining and Sarsfields have reached their eighth final in nine seasons.
But what a great try from Loughgiel.
They started the game at break-neck speed and pressurised every opponent in possession. The result was a dream start. Lucia McNaughton picked up a loose clearance from Tara Kenny and fired over inside 35 seconds.
A minute later my player-of-the-match Anna Connolly, who missed the Ulster final after a red card in the semi-final against Clonduff, drove the sliotar forward and it was blocked down for Caitrín Dobbin to run on to. Dobbin was being pulled back by a defender but shrugged off the challenge to fire to the left corner of the net.
Two minutes later, the day got even better for the very vocal Shamrock supporters in the stand when Amy Boyle intercepted a Sarsfields pass out of defence and sent Róisín McCormick through to hit the goal.
Niamh McGrath eventually opened her side’s account with a much-needed point after five minutes, but Annie Lynn and McCormick tagged on Loughgiel points, both openings created by Anna Connolly.
The Galway side seemed to have steadied the ship a little with points from Siobhán and Niamh McGrath, but they were in more difficulties in the 15th minute when Caitrín Dobbin’s pass released Lucia McNaughton. Despite being dragged to the ground, McNaughton still got a hurl to the sliotar and found the net.
Sarsfields got a lifeline shortly after that score when a long free from Niamh McGrath bounced in the goal area and ended up in the net, while late points from the McGrath sisters and Caoimhe Kelly left them just four in arrears at the break, 3-4 to 1-6.
That was down to two inside two minutes of the re-start with points from sub Cora Kenny and a third McGrath sister, Orlaith.
Róisín McCormick pulled back a point with a free, but by the 37th minute the teams were level with three points from Siobhán McGrath.
Loughgiel dug in and the game went eight minutes without a score until McCormick (free and Caitrín Dobbin opened a two-point gap for the Ulster champions.
Caoimhe Kelly and McCormick then swapped scores before Kenny and Siobhán McGrath tied the teams on 3-8 to 1-14.
The momentum was with the Galway side and they made it count with the next two points, scores that were enough to take them over the line in an epic encounter.
In the final they will meet first time Munster champions Truagh-Clonlara. The Clare team came from 0-7 to 0-4 down at half-time in Walsh Park Waterford to beat Dublin champions St Vincent’s by two points (0-11 to 0-9).
Indeed as the game entered its final few minutes, Truagh-Clonlara still trailed by a point, but late scores from Áine O’Loughlin, Aoibhin Marren and Becky Foley created history as they become the first Clare club to reach the club decider on Sunday week.
Loughgiel R McCormick 1-5 (0-3f); L McNaughton & Caitrín Dobbin 1-1 each; A Lynn 0-2
Sarsfields S McGrath 0-8 (0-4f); N McGrath 1-2 (1-1f); C Kelly
0-3; C Kenny 0-2; O McGrath 0-1
