MarVal Power Down Senior Camogie Championship final: Liatroim 0-11 Ballygalget 2-4
LIATROIM Fontenoys took their 28th Down senior camogie title in a tension-filled final in Castlewellan yesterday, a game that could well have gone against them as a result of incidents in the 44th-45th minutes.
The first blow they suffered was a goal from Alannah Hagan that brought Ballygalget level at 0-8 to 2-2.
Seconds later a long delivery released Dearbhla Magee into the left corner. Magee’s pass found sub Caitlin Davidson who was dragged to the ground inside the area for a penalty.
However Davidson retaliated, picked up a red card and then saw the penalty decision changed to a throw-in. From that play Ballygalget won a free on the sideline and Nicola Braniff posted a point.
However Liatroim’s experience kicked in; their disciplined defence gave away just one more scoreable free, Karen McMullan, the marshal of that defence, broke for a brilliant solo point while Magee and McAleenan seemed to be on every ball from midfield up.
It always looked like a game that would also go down to the wire, even though the eventual winners led by 0-7 to 1-1 at the break. Six of those seven Liatroim points came from McAleenan frees, four of them from close on midfield.
The Ballygalget goal came after seven minutes, when Tara Monan found Ciara Fitzsimons with a pass across the D.
The game was played mainly between the two 45-metre line with the teams only recording one wide each and that pattern continued through the third quarter until the Hagan goal and the red card heightened tension.
Although Braniff twice edged her side ahead with frees, Aimee McAleenan from a free and then Karen McMullan tied the teams and it all came down to McAleenan swinging over a huge point off her left in the 58th minute. It was enough to take the Fontenoys back into the Ulster arena after a gap of seven years.
SCORERS
Liatroim A McAleenan 0-9 (0-8f); D Magee & K McMullan 0-1 each
Ballygalget C Fitzsimons 1-1; A Hagan 1-0; N Braniff 0-3f
