Dominic’s hold edge as McDonnell’s accuracy proves key
BY DAIRE WALSH – 22 JANUARY 2015 03:00 AM
The deadball prowess of full-back Ciara McDonnell proved decisive at Clanna Gael Fontenoy last Friday afternoon, when St Dominic’s College, Cabra were crowned Dublin Schools Camogie Senior ‘A’ champions at the expense of 2013 winners, St Joseph’s College, Lucan.
Joseph’s also suffered a reversal in last year’s final to Maryfield College (on a scoreline of 1-7 to 0-4), and despite holding the edge in the opening period exchanges, a strong final-quarter ultimately swung the outcome in favour of their northside counterparts.
Clear-cut opportunities were few and far between early on, and it wasn’t until the 12th minute that the first score of the game arrived.
Samantha Fitzgerald’s effort for Joseph’s from the right-hand sidelooked set to raise a white flag, but after Dominic’s netminder Dominika Osak batted down the ball, it was adjudged to have crossed the line.
suspicion
There was a suspicion that it may have split the posts before hitting Osak’s hurley, but following furtherinspection, referee Mick O’Flaherty awarded a morale-boosting goal to Joseph’s. Half-forward Aoife McKearney increased the Joseph’s advantage, before the Cabra girls finally found their range courtesy of a Ciara Glynn point on 19 minutes.
Slowly but surely, Dominic’s were growing in confidence, and Carolan was desperately unfortunate to see a goal-bound strike rebounding off the upright and away to safety.
Free-taking had been something of an issue for Dominic’s, and this led todefensive lynchpin McDonnell venturing forward to convert a ’45’ two minutes prior to the interval. This cut the gap to two points (1-1 to 0-2) moving into the second period, and left the final outcome very much in the balance.
McDonnell (who also acted as captain of Dominic’s on the day) assumed placed-ball duties completely upon the resumption, and although Charlotte Rooney enhanced the Joseph’s lead in the early moments of the second half, a brace of McDonnell scores from close-range reduced the deficit to the minimum after 38 minutes.
Some of the shooting by Joseph’s had been wayward after the restart, but they soon restored their three-point cushion with scores by half-time substitute Yasmin Kilduff (which was inches away from going under the crossbar) and McKearney (’45’).
Joseph’s would been pleased to be in this position with 15 minutes of normal time remaining, but they suffered a major set-back just two minutes later.
Lucan custodian Jenny Ryan tried to let a low shot from a left-hand angle float beyond the end line, but when play was waved on, Carolan showed great initiative to keep the ball alive, and subsequently pull to the net from close-in.
This set up a tantalising conclusion to the action, and given the way both teams had performed, a draw certainly couldn’t be ruled out of the equation. Yet, momentum was with Dominic’s by this point, and having fired her side into the ascendancy 11 minutes from time, McDonnell added frees in the 51st and 57th minutes to place them in pole position for the title.
Kilduff was close to restoring parity from a looping shot deep into second-half stoppage time, but St Dominic’s eventually held out for a memorable triumph.
Scorers – St Dominic’s College, Cabra: C McDonnell 0-5 (3f, 2 ’45’), C Carolan 1-0, C Glynn, E Carr 0-1 each. ST JOSEPH’S LUCAN: S Fitzgerald 1-0, A McKearney 0-2 (2 ’45’), C Rooney, Y Kilduff 0-1 each.
ST DOMINIC’S CABRA: D Osak; N McCearney, C McDonnell, E Garvey; C Gibbons, M McNally, H Brady; L Gregg, C Murphy; C Glynn, C Carolan, S O’Brien; O Murphy, E Carr, C Beahan. Subs: Z Couch for Beahan (h-t).
ST JOSEPH’S LUCAN: J Ryan; E O’Flynn, A Gorman, M Dowley; J Kelly, J Condron, O Moloney; O Murphy, L O’Mahony; A McKearney, J McClelland, S Fitzgerald; LMorgan, N Fitzgibbon, C Rooney. Subs: Y Kilduff for Kelly (h-t), H Morrin for Fitzgibbon (56).
Referee: M O’Flaherty (St Kevin’s/Killian’s).