CAMOGIE – DUBLIN SEN ‘A’ FINAL: COL IOSAGAIN 4-7 OUR LADY’S, TERENURE 3-5
MAIDEN TITLE FOR IOSAGAIN
First-half goals seal Gaelscoil’s first senior success
Daire Walsh
IT WAS a day to remember for Coláiste Íosagáin at Clanna Gael Fontenoy last Friday afternoon as the Booterstown school held off a strong second-half fightback from Our Lady’s, Terenure to claim their maiden Dublin Schools’ Senior ‘A’ Camogie Championship.
Our Lady’s included a total of 12 players from Faughs in their starting line-up, but after a brace of points from half-forward Eleanor Ní Eachtairn got Íosagáin up and running, Gráinne Ní Dhrisceoil produced the first goal of the contest with a neat finish from a tight-angle.
RAMPANT
Either side of points from Síobhra Nic Aindriú and midfielder Sinéad de Bhuilde, Meadhbh Ní Ghallachoir got the better of Our Lady’s netminder Catherine Reynolds, and a second Ní Dhrisceoil goal followed for the rampant Íosagáin. Our Lady’s eventually opened their account with a superb 20th-minute Kerrie Finnegan point, but Ní Eachtairn’s low strike from a penalty was too strong for Reynolds moving into injury-time.
Points courtesy of Grace Ní Shé and Hannah Ní Dhéa provided Íosagáin with a comprehensive 4-6 to 0-2 interval lead, but having completed the half’s scoring with a point from play, Our Lady’s full-forward Holly Finnegan buried to the net from a short opposition puck-out three minutes after the restart. They received a further boost when a long-distance free by Isabelle Costelloe floated into the top-corner of the net, and a successful ’45’ by the centre-fielder later reduced the Terenure side’s deficit to eight points.
This suddenly placed Íosagáin on red alert, but strong defensive displays by Naoise Ní Eireamháin and Gráinne Ní Fhrighil ensured that they partly curbed the attacking threat of Our Lady’s.
Sinead Richardson was on hand to dramatically cut the gap to four points with a scrambled goal late on, but when Ní Eachtairn finally enhanced Íosagáin’s tally in stoppage-time, they ultimately brought the Our Lady’s challenge to an end.
Scorers – Colaiste Iosagain: G Ní Dhrisceoil 2-0, E Ní Eachtairn 1-3 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), M Ní Ghallachoir 1-0, G Ní Shé (’45’), S de Bhuilde, H Ní Dhéa, S Nic Aindriú 0-1 each. Our Lady’s, Terenure: I Costelloe (1-0f, 0-1 ’45′), H Finnegan 1-1 each, S Richardson 1-0, K Finnegan 0-2, C Campbell 0-1.
COLAISTE IOSAGAIN: M Ní Bhuachalla; S Nic Uileagóid, R Ní Nualláin, S Ní Dhonnachú; N Ní Eireamháin, G Ní Fhrighil, ME Ní Uirthile; S de Bhuilde, G Ní Shé; E Ní Eachtairn, H Ní Dhéa, S Nic Aindriú; N Ní Shíocháin, M Ní Ghallachóir, G Ní Dhrisceoil. Subs: S Ní Fhionnlainn for Ní Shíocháin (31-45), N de Faoite for Ní Shé (59).
OUR LADY’S, TERENURE: C Reynolds; S Mulvey, J O’Sullivan, R Seery; A McCabe, E Browne, K Clarke; C Mullen, I Costelloe; S Malin, E Ryan, K Finnegan; S Richardson, H Finnegan, M Rock. Subs: S Stassin Peelo for Mulvey (27), C Campbell for Rock (41).
Referee: M O’Flaherty (St Kevin’s/Killian’s).