Murtagh's frees get Clonkill over the line

Westmeath Camogie Div 1 final: Clonkill 2-13, Lough Lene Gaels 2-8

(After extra time)

Paul Hughes

Clonkill laid down a marker for the coming Westmeath senior camogie championship campaign with a hard-fought win against Lough Lene Gaels in the Division 1 camogie league decider last Sunday afternoon.

Played on a bone-dry TEG Cusack Park surface in the sweltering Sunday heat, this final took a while to get going and at the end of a disappointing first half, Clonkill led 1-3 to 0-5 after a 14th-minute goal from Niamh Keogh.

The best forward on the pitch, the Gaels’ relentless Caoimhe Ginnell, fired back with two superb goals, and took her personal tally to 2-7 as the Collinstown outfit led buy five with just eight minutes to go.

From there however, Clonkill learned how to keep tabs on Ginnell as it became clear just how over-reliant the Gaels were on their talented markswoman. Bolstered by superb defensive displays from Roz Daly and Claire Gaffney, the Loughegar women kept the Gaels down to one score in the final quarter and had a bit of luck themselves when Ella Murtagh netted from a long-range free.

An equaliser from Chloe Galligan sent the game to extra time, when Clonkill seized the initiative and scored six consecutive points to record a merited five-point win.

The Gaels had the best of the opening exchanges and were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after 12 minutes thanks to a hat-trick of scores from Ginnell, with Clonkill opening their account thanks to a free from dead-ball expert Ella Murtagh. Ginnell’s third score came after a surging run down the left flank.

Against the run of play, on 14 minutes a long clearance by the Clonkill defence was missed by their Lough Lene Gaels counterparts, allowing Annie McDonald to get in behind and square to Niamh Keogh, who netted from close range. To make matters worse for the Gaels, they lost experienced defender Aisling Duffy to an injury during the build-up to the goal.

Clonkill settled into their stride after the water break but by the 22nd minute, the Collinstown girls had restored their lead thanks to two more scores from Ginnell (a free and a ‘45’). The ‘45’ came about after Ginnell had teed up Reanna Kennedy, but her swipe at the ball was deflected wide.

On 24 minutes, Clonkill levelled matters again when Ciara Dolan, after a determined run, set up Krista Tamosiunaite for a point. Seconds later, the Gaels almost raised their first green flag when Sinéad Lynch went short, and after the ball was spilled by Clonkill netminder Ellen Taite, Caoimhe Ginnell shot to the ‘keeper’s right. Two minutes later, Lynch had a shot on goal but it went tamely wide.

In stoppage time, Ella Murtagh tacked on a free to give Clonkill a narrow lead at the break, but at this stage one felt that the Gaels, pound for pound, were the better team.

The women in purple and gold got the break they deserved after the restart when Caoimhe Ginnell smashed the sliotar to the net after a wonderful solo effort, but Chloe Galligan responded for Clonkill from play to leave them just a point behind.

On 36 minutes, the Gaels could have netted for a second time but Sinéad Lynch opted for a shot instead of squaring for the inrushing Catríona Kennedy. Unexpectedly, Caoimhe Ginnell went wide from the resulting ‘45’.

Three minutes later though, the Gaels’ persistence paid off. It could have been so different had Clonkill pounced on a fumble by Kelly Dobson at the other end, but the Gaels cleared their lines and a spectacular long puck downfield found the outstretched paw of Ginnell. Bringing the large attendance to its feet, Ginnell turned on her heels, powered her way past a phalanx of Clonkill defenders and drove the ball to the net.

Niamh Keogh responded with a point for the Loughegar girls but beyond Ella Murtagh’s talent for converting frees, it was hard to see where and how their much-needed scores would come from. By the 52nd minute, it looked bleak for them after Ginnell had tacked on two more frees, and the Gaels led 2-7 to 1-5.

However, Murtagh delivered the key blows for Clonkill as they switched on a as a unit in the final quarter. She reduced the arrears on 53 minutes with a free and, two minutes later, pucked another dead-ball effort dangerously towards goal from the terrace side. It missed a forest of hurls and ended up in the Gaels net, leaving just a point between the sides.

The Gaels had a couple of chances to wrap up the win in stoppage and though failing to make them count, they looked to have weathered the storm. But Clonkill had one more ace up their sleeve.

It was dealt by Chloe Galligan who, marauding through the middle, shipped to an advancing teammate. But her momentum was such that she ended up latching on to her own pass, and then confidently drove the ball over the bar to force extra time.

As was the case with Westmeath ladies in Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday afternoon, the Gaels had left it behind and in ruthless fashion, their opponents did the needful in extra time.

By half time in that additional period, Clonkill hit five on the trot to lead 2-12 to 2-7, with scores from sub Katie McDonnell, skipper Claire Gaffney (a determined effort) and a hat-trick of frees from Ella Murtagh (including a superb puck from the tightest of angles on the terrace side).

Clonkill’s second wind was in stark contrast to the Gaels’ lethargy, and the Collinstown girls lost Orlaith Dolan and Sinéad Lynch to injuries in the extended period.

A minute into the second half of extra time, Clonkill’s Chloe Galligan scythed through the middle to add her third point, and by now it was academic. Sub Ashleigh Hill pucked a late score for the Gaels but they just hadn’t enough firepower or time to conjure some late drama.

At full time, Karen Goldrick, chairperson of Westmeath Camogie Board, presented the Division 1 trophy to Clonkill captain, Claire Gaffney.

Scorers - Clonkill: E Murtagh 1-6f, N Keogh 1-1, C Galligan 0-3, K Tamosiunaite, K McDonnell and C Gaffney 0-1 each. Lough Lene Gaels: C Ginnell 2-7 (0-3f, 1 ‘45’), A Hill 0-1.

Clonkill: Ellen Taite; Ann Marie O’Reilly, Ellen Flanagan, Gemma Nooney; Roz Daly, Claire Gaffney, Alanna Coogan; Ciara Dolan, Aisling Egerton; Chloe Galligan, Ella Murtagh, Krista Tamosiunaite; Rebecca Dunne, Annie McDonald, Niamh Keogh.

Subs used: Katie McDonnell for Egerton (42), Katie Nea for Keogh (52), Áine Doyle for Nooney (inj., 57), Egerton for Dunne (7, e-t), Becca Croash for Nea (11, e-t).

Lough Lene Gaels: Kelly Dobson; Jessie Ginnell, Aisling Duffy, Alva McCabe; Aoife Flynn, Caoimhe McCrossan, Elisha Gavigan; Lauren Kavanagh, Ellie Fitzsimons; Catríona Kennedy, Sinéad Lynch, Shauna Coghlan; Caoimhe Ginnell, Katie Egan, Reanna Kennedy.

Subs used: Aideen Dermody for A Duffy (inj., 16), Orlaith Dolan for Egan (h-t), Orlaith Winters for Coghlan (42), Maggie Bartley for Kavanagh (41), Aisling English for C Kennedy (5, e-t), Ashleigh Hill for J Ginnell (8, e-t), Emma Moran for Dolan (10, e-t, inj.), Alisha Harte for S Lynch (15, e-t, inj.).

Ref: Jim Bob Baker (Cullion).

Footnote

Before Sunday’s final, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of Clonkill stalwart, the late Michael Scally, Monilea, Mullingar.