NWP Ulster Club Senior Camogie Championsip final replay: Robert Emmet’s, Slaughtneil (Derry) 1-8 Loughgiel Shamrocks (Antrim) 1-5
With five minutes left on the clock, Slaughtneil were three points down in a low-scoring final replay in Glen, Maghera, on Saturday.
Loughgiel had just fluffed two openings, albeit difficult ones, to seal their third title in succession.
Then Slaughtneil were awarded a 25-metre free for a foul on sub Denise McGuigan. Go for goal or take the easy point? Free-taker Louise Dougan opted for the latter and a minute later Mary Kelly fired over another point.
In the 58th minute Éilis Ní Chaiside picked up a delivery from sister Aoife to shoot the equaliser at 0-8 to 1-5.
Most in the 5,000 crowd would have settled for extra time. However, the Derry side were on a roll and Mary Kelly grabbed Louise Dougan’s long free and hand-passed it over her shoulder into the Loughgiel net. The goal was disallowed as the corner-forward was deemed to have over-carried.
However, Dougan found her with the next long ball, this time in a bit of space, and Kelly again hand-passed it over her shoulder, as well as the advancing Megan Coyle, to record the match-winning goal.
Slaughtneil then shut up shop in the last 90 seconds before the emotion was unleashed in great scenes that delayed the presentation of the cup for more than 15 minutes.Club chairman Sean McGuigan was delighted for the team.
“I think that the team stayed composed even though we were chasing Loughgiel right through the game. We held our shape, kept going against a really good team and eventually wore them down.”
“Our defence was excellent, better than last week, and the three Cassidy girls delivered once again. I don’t know where they have got the strength to achieve what they have in each and every game this year with all that was happening at home.”
Their father Thomas died after a prolonged illness in the week leading up to the drawn Ulster final.
“Thomas had a big influence on this camogie team and he worked hard for this day to happen. Everyone in Slaughtneil knows that.”
Aoife Ni Chaiside said her dad, Thomas, would have been "so happy to see us as Ulster champions".
A Jerome Quinn Media Production for Ulster Camogie
Much like the drawn game, the Derry champions had more of the play in a really tight, skilful game, but Loughgiel, for the most part, were more economical in front of the posts.
They went ahead through a great point from Racquel McCarry right on the sideline under the stand and, although Shannon Graham equalised from the poc out, McCarry blasted a 20 metres free to the Slaughtneil net in the 11th minute.
Slaughtneil kept pushing forward but squandered a couple of openings before Sinead Mellon and Graham, from a free, closed the game to a single score.
However, McCarry responded with a free and Loughgiel led by two at the turnover, 1-2 to 0-3.
Caitrin Dobbin fired over the champions’ first score from open play right after the restart, but the Slaughtneil defence weathered the early pressure and the teams traded two points each before the 50th minute.
Then came those two half-chances for the Shamrocks. But eventually the Slaughtneil momentum was made to count as they equalled their opponents’ feat of last October by clinching the provincial hurling and camogie double.
MATCH STATS
Slaughtneil: J Bradley, J McMullan, B Ní Chaiside, D McGuigan, G O’Kane, A Ní Chaiside, C McGrath, L Dougan (0-1 free), S Graham (0-3, 0-2 frees), S McKeague, É Ní Chaiside (0-2), C Mulholland, M Kelly (1-1), S Mellon (0-1), B McAllister. Subs: T Mellon for S McKeague (37), D McGuigan for B McAllister (50).
Loughgiel: M Coyle, A Connolly, L Connolly, C Boyle, C Higgins, E McFadden, M Connolly, C Campbell (capt), S Devlin, C Laverty, U McNaughton (0-1), E McMullan, A McFadden, R McCarry (1-3, 1-2 frees), C Dobbin (0-1). Sub: J Gillan for C Laverty (51).
Referee: Philip McDonald (Cavan)
