Early McCauley goals crucial as Deelsiders win epic final

Westmeath U16 ‘A’ camogie championship final: Raharney 5-7, Crookedwood/Castlepollard 3-10

Gerry Buckley reports

The game of camogie was the real winner in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd at TEG Cusack Park on Wednesday of last week (September 7) when a slightly better-balanced Raharney side edged out Crookedwood/Castlepollard (C/C) in what was a memorable Westmeath U16 ‘A’ final.

Abbey McCauley netted for the Deelsiders with exactly a minute elapsed. The outstanding Caoimhe McCormack and McCauley soon traded opportunist points, before McCormack slotted over a seventh-minute free.

McCauley doubled her goal haul some five minutes later, but another McCormack free kept C/C very much in touch, trailing by just four points (2-1 to 0-3) at the end of the opening quarter.

The latter then scored a great solo goal and added a point to tie up the scoring. A fine point under pressure from Eabha O’Mahony nudged the girls in the green and blue jerseys in front in the 23rd minute but a great individual point from Emma Hynes, and a terrific catch and ensuing shot to the roof of the net from Róisín Connaughton, followed at the other end.

In the 28th minute, the ever-threatening McCormack was fouled when bearing down on goal and the same player clinically converted the resultant penalty. A neat point from Grace Bracken on the half-hour mark left C/C ahead by 2-6 to 3-2 at the interval.

Connaughton equalised a mere 15 seconds after play resumed. Hynes followed up with a three-pointer before Kayla Kennedy (open play) and Connaughton (from a ‘45’) exchanged points. Connaughton slotted over another free before half-time sub Ellen Mulvaney scored the fifth goal for the girls in all-blue in the 40th minute.

A point exchange from frees between Connaughton and McCormack followed, leaving Raharney ahead by 5-6 to 2-8 at the end of the third quarter.

A great brace from McCormack (a point under pressure and a free) kept the losers in touch and following a second ‘45’ conversion by Connaughton, C/C spurned a couple of good opportunities, albeit Laura Doyle was in fine form between the sticks for the winners.

In the fifth minute of added-time, a rasping shot from a 30-metre free by McCormack brought C/C to within a goal of the Deelsiders, but the referee blew the final whistle a minute later and it was Raharney who were the worthy champions.

Thankfully, the threatened rain stayed away and this made for joyous on-field post-match celebrations. When calm was restored, the chairperson of the Westmeath Camogie Board, Karen Goldrick, presented the cup to Raharney’s joint-captains, Michelle Doyle and Tara Geraghty.

Scorers – Raharney: R Connaughton 1-5 (0-2f, 0-2 ‘45’), A McCauley 2-1, E Hynes 1-1, E Mulvaney 1-0. Crookedwood/Castlepollard: C McCormack 3-7 (1-3f, 1-0 pen), E O’Mahony, G Bracken and K Kennedy 0-1 each.

Raharney: Laura Doyle; Aoife O’Connor, Elisha McCauley, Neala Weir Hall; Aoibhinn Murray, Michelle Doyle, Caoimhe McGee; Kayla Carey, Aoife McGrath; Dayna Duffy, Sian Weir Hall, Tara Geraghty; Róisín Connaughton, Emma Hynes, Abbey McCauley. Subs used: Ellen Mulvaney for Duffy (h-t), Michelle Larkin McHugh for Weir Hall (47).

Crookedwood/Castlepollard: Sarah Lancaster; Isabelle O’Neill, Grace Downes, Doireann Manley; Ella Reilly, Eabha O’Mahony, Chloe Wong; Grace Bracken, Aishling Brown; Emma Gilchrist, Caoimhe McCormack, Rebecca Ward; Kayla Kennedy, Claire Loughrey, Áine McKenna. Subs used: Sophia McLoughlin for Brown (h-t), Caoimhe O’Mahony for McKenna (inj., 46).

Ref: Barry Nea (Clonkill).

Player of the match: Caoimhe McCormack (Crookedwood/Castlepollard).