Corn Uan Uladh final St Patrick’s, Maghera 2-12 St Killian’s, Garron Tower 1-6
A GOAL at the start of each half were the cornerstones for St Patrick’s, Maghera collecting Corn Uan Uladh for the 19th time in last night’s much postponed final at Portglenone.
In what was a rematch from 12 months ago, the holders got off to the perfect start with Aoibh Mulholland fouled and Carla Collins pointing the resultant free in the third minute.
Sixty seconds later, Orlaith Hull’s free dropped in front of the Garron Tower goals and Caoimhe Chambers scrambled it over the line.
It took St Killian’s 20 minutes to get back into the game. Clodagh McPeake sent Orlaith McCurry clear for a run into the heart of the Maghera defence. McCurry off-loaded to Orlaith McAllister for a powerful strike to the net.
It was now 1-3 to 1-2 and Collins and Eva McNeill exchanged frees before Maghera hit a purple patch just before the break with five unanswered points, two of them from Katie McCloskey, who has featured on Antrim underage teams with many of her opponents last night.
A free from McNeill on the re-start closed the gap to five points, but that was as close as St Killian’s got.
Two minutes later Carla Collins mishit a free, but Aoibh Mulholland pounced to find the net. She added a point soon after to bring her personal tally to 1-3 and she might well have had a second goal but for some excellent defending from Maeve McAllister midway through the half.
Mulholland was excellent throughout, as was Katie McCloskey and both sets of defenders, but the QUB player-of-the-match award went to Maghera midfielder Orlaith Hull who was at the heart of all that was good about her side’s teamwork.
Maghera have now set up a re-match with Loreto, Kilkenny in the Allianz Corn Sceilg semi-final. Loreto beat them in both the senior and junior All-Ireland finals last year.
St Patrick’s A Mulholland 1-3, C Chambers 1-0, C Collins 0-6, 4 frees, K McCloskey 0-2, O Hull 0-1
St Killian’s O McAllister 1-1, E McNeill 0-3 frees, C McPeake & C O’Boyle 0-1 each
Referee B Milligan (Portaferry)
