Glen Dimplex Premier Junior Championship semi-final: Antrim 1-16 Clare 0-18 (After two periods of ET)
ALL-IRELAND camogie finals day in a fortnight will open with an all-Ulster final – just like next Sunday’s football final day. The only team that could have prevented that was Clare and boy did they make Antrim earn their ticket to Croke Park.
This second semi-final in Tullamore was level at half-time and full-time of the regulation game, level at half-time and full time after the first session of extra time that lasted 10 minutes each way.
Another session of extra-time, lasting five minutes each way, was required and during this a free from close on the halfway line in the opening minute from Megan McGarry was enough to give Antrim a 1-16 to 0-18 win in the most dramatic of semi-finals that was still in progress at 6pm, having thrown in at 3.30pm.
This was a blood and guts semi-final. There were periods, particularly during the first half, when Antrim looked the better team, then periods when the Clare defence was more comfortable in possession. But Antrim wore them down and edged home to meet Armagh in Croke Park on the first Sunday of August.
McGarry was superb at centre-half back, the defence as a whole excellent and, while they sometimes struggled against the Clare defence, the forwards fought for every ball to bring the Saffrons through. Both teams used their benches well, replacing aching limbs with players a lit fresher.
When small margins mattered, goalie Áine Graham probably edged Antrim home, twice getting her stick high to take down efforts that were going over the bar in that final period of extra time as well as keeping her goal intact throughout.
Clare failed to score from open play during the first half, but were level at the break 1-4 to 0-7 thanks to six frees from Shauna Canny and another long range effort from Kate O’Gorman.
Antrim impressed during the first half taking an early lead through Bríd Magill and then going 1-2 to 0-1 ahead after seven minutes when Caoimhe McNaughton and Magill combined to put Dervla Cosgrove clear for a goal. However Clare broke down the Saffron attack when several other scoring chances looked on before half time.
Magill pointed on the re-start, and Antrim remained ahead until Canny cut in to shoot her ninth point in the 50th minute. Although Cosgrove and Fionnuala Kelly restored Antrim’s lead with points, Abby Walsh and Aoife Anderson hit back and Clare carried a single point lead into added time.
With the very last play in added time, Nuala Devlin put Clare Kearney through for the equaliser at 1-11 to 0-14.
Anderson and Canny (from a free) edged Clare ahead in the first period of extra time, but the teams turned around level at 0-16 to 1-13, thanks to scores from Magill and a Cosgrove 45.
Emma Laverty and Caoimhe McNaughton then put Antrim two up, but this time Clare used added time well to eke out another draw with points from Grace Carmody and a Sarah Loughnane 45.
McGarry’s long free put Antrim ahead as we moved into the two extra five minutes that extended to over eight for each half. There was drama in front of both goals but no further scores and Antrim held out to reach Croke Park for the second successive finals’ day – although in this case at a different grade.
Antrim: Á Graham; M McLarnon, E Kearns, E McShane; C Crawford, M McGarry (0-1 free), S Cosgrove; C Kearney (0-1), E Laverty; T O’Neill, Bríd Magill (0-3), C McNaughton (0-2); A McNeill, E Leech (0-1), D Cosgrove (1-5, 0-4 frees).
Subs: F Kelly (0-1) for T O’Neill (22), O Laverty (0-1) for A McNeill (40), N Devlin for E Leech (40), E Trainor for E Laverty (60), Brónach Magill for S Cosgove (60 +2), A McNeill for C Kearney (68), E Laverty (0-1) for Bríd Magill (70), T O’Neill for Brónach Magill (70), C Heggarty for C Crawford (74), Bríd Magill for F Kelly (84) C McNaughton for D Cosgrove (85), C Crawford for C Heggarty (87), C Kearney for E Laverty (90 +1),
Clare: L Solon; R Crowe, M Powell, S Hogg; R Powell, K O’Gorman (0-1 free), S O’Keefe; R Kelly (0-1), A Walsh (0-1); G Carmody, E Casey, A Anderson (0-3); S Canny (0-10, 0-9 frees), N Mulqueen, O Phelan.
Subs: A Hickey for N Mulqueen (37), S Leneghan for G Carmody (44), F O’Brien for O Phelan (51), S Loughnane (0-1 free) for K O’Gorman (58), R Crowe for S Hogg (70), G Carmody (0-1) for A Anderson (70), K O’Gorman for F O’Brien (74), R Conway for G Carmody (82), N Mulqueen for E Casey (88), S Canny for A Hickey (90 +2)
Referee: B Heaney (Meath)
