McGrath’s late free secures Leinster ‘B’ title for Delvin
AIB Leinster Junior ‘B’ Camogie Championship Final: Delvin 1-10, St Bride’s (Louth) 1-9
Gerry Buckley reports
The Delvin camogie side survived a great challenge from St Bride’s to eke out the Leinster ‘B’ title by the narrowest of margins at the resplendent Abbotstown complex last Saturday afternoon, the Westmeath representatives deserving winners on the day but needing a little bit of luck here and there to see off their plucky Louth counterparts.
The substantial red and white-clad contingent in the good-sized crowd were incensed with some of the referee’s decisions, and they certainly had a valid complaint in the dying moments when only five of the minimum six minutes of added-time signalled were actually played.
However, with veteran attacker Denise McGrath again leading the way, there is no denying the Valley ladies their fully merited success.
Caoimhe Gaffney nudged Delvin ahead after just 20 seconds, but the ability of the Wee County girls – who had the aid of a slight wind in the first moiety – was soon in evidence with an unanswered hat-trick of points from the sticks of Orla McGeeney, Aimee McNally and the outstanding Cara McKeever putting them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead with just six minutes on the clock.
A McGrath delivery enabled Linda Clune to halve the deficit in the eighth minute. Both ‘keepers produced fine displays throughout, and Courtney Carroll pulled off a good save from the ever-dangerous McKeever.
McGrath equalised in the 11th minute, but McKeever soon restored the Louth ladies’ advantage (0-4 to 0-3) with aplomb.
Mairéad McMahon produced a terrific save from McGrath, but the latter went on to score three points from placed balls without reply between the 19th and 23rd minutes – a brace of frees either side of a ‘45’ (after she had again been denied by McMahon).
Claire Ward and Clune traded points, before two late scores from McKeever – a great score from play and a 60-metre free, sandwiched between which Carroll had saved smartly from Anne Quigley – left the well-matched teams level at the interval (0-7 apiece).
St Bride’s took the lead exactly a minute into the second moiety when Carroll kept out McKeever’s initial goalbound shot, but she was powerless to prevent Sarah Fagan from whipping the sliotar to the net from the rebound.
However, the losers’ joy was short-lived with a dipping shot from McGrath – assumedly trying for a point – deceiving McMahon for a somewhat fortuitous equalizing goal in the 34th minute. Linda Kenny nudged the girls in the blue and maroon jerseys ahead a minute later.
Three minutes later, Delvin almost scrambled a second goal after a shot from the hard-working Áine Newman had come back off the crossbar. McGrath then strangely opted to go for a goal for a close-range free, but her effort was blocked. The same player converted a 40-metre free to double her team’s advantage, as some drizzle arrived to make for tricky underfoot conditions on the excellent surface.
McNally kicked the ball wide from a good position, but her colleague McKeever made no mistake with a fine point in the 52nd minute. The latter then untypically missed a scoreable free. Delvin were profligate at this juncture and were made to pay for this when McKeever slotted over a difficult free exactly on the hour mark.
It was all to play for now and McGrath scored what proved to be the winner in the second minute of injury-time, her 30-metre free having been moved closer to the target due to dissent.
McKeever was short from a long-range free but, with St Bride’s feeling they might manufacture another opportunity to equalise, the referee blew up prematurely, giving Louth fans the chance to vociferously regurgitate their unhappiness with the officials at their infamous Leinster senior football final ‘loss’ to Meath 12 years ago.
After the match, Linda Kenny, the chairperson of the Leinster Camogie Board, presented the cup to the victorious Delvin captain, Karen Gaffney, with Hilda Breslin, Camogie Association president, handing over the player of the match award to a fitting recipient in Denise McGrath.
Scorers – Delvin: D McGrath 1-6 (0-4f, 0-1‘45’), L Clune 0-2, L Kenny, C Gaffney 0-1 each. St Bride’s: C McKeever 0-6 (2f), S Fagan 1-0, C Ward, A McNally, O McGeeney 0-1 each.
Delvin: Courtney Carroll; Mags McQuillan, Niamh Cogan, Ruth Fitzsimons; Darcey Ryan, Karen Gaffney, Elaine Farrelly; Áine Newman, Ciara Higgins; Olivia Kelleghan, Linda Kenny, Deirdre Barry; Denise McGrath, Caoimhe Gaffney, Linda Clune. Subs used: Emily Leavy for Cogan (inj., 33), Hannah Kelleghan for Higgins (59).
St Bride’s: Mairéad McMahon; Niamh McGeeney, Caoimhe Hoey, Sarah McArdle; Lily Fagan, Daire Hoey, Nimah Cunningham; Rebecca Mooney, Orla McGeeney; Gráinne McKeon, Anne Quigley, Sarah Fagan; Claire Ward, Aimee McNally, Cara McKeever. Subs used: Antoinette Power for Ward (47), Rebecca Fox for Cunningham (58).
Ref: Shane Foley (Carlow).