CAMOGIE – DUBLIN MINOR ‘A’ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: COL IOSAGAIN 7-8 DOMINICAN DRUMCONDRA 5-5
EMILY INSPIRES IOSAGAIN
Full-forward delivers five-star show
Daire Walsh
A STUNNING individual performance by full-forward Emily Nic Giolla Íosa helped Coláiste Íosagáin to overcome Dominican College in the Dublin Schools Minor ‘A’ Camogie Championship final at Ringsend last Thursday.
This rounds off another fine season for the Gaelscoil, who claimed the Senior ‘A’ crown back in January.
KEY ROLES
While Nic Giolla Íosa’s five-goal haul paid dividends, Saoirse Ní Bhriain and Cáit Ní Bheaglaoich also played key roles in their success.
It certainly wasn’t all plain sailing for the southsiders – who found themselves facing into an early deficit of 0-2 to 2-2 after Meadbh Tierney and Aisling Cullen raised green flags for Dominicans.
The Griffith Avenue outfit were subsequently pegged back by Ní Bhriain and Nic Giolla Íosa, before eventually reasserting their authority.
Following Tierney’s second goal of the action, Aifric Mangan’s speculative effort from distance found its way past opposing netminder Niamh Ní Uiginn.
Determined to finish the half on a high, a Nic Giolla Íosa goal for Íosagáin was supplemented by a Ní Bheaglaoich point – reducing the gap to three points (4-3 to 3-3) in time for the interval.
This allowed them to bring momentum into the second period, where quick-fire goals from Nic Giolla Íosa (her third) and Ní Bheaglaoich moved them into the ascendancy for the first time.
Mangan eased the pressure on Dominicans with a pointed free, only for Nic Giolla Íosa to once again find the net for Íosagáin. Indeed, thanks to unanswered scores courtesy of Róisín Ní Dhrisceoil, Ní Bhriain and Róisín Ní Chathasaigh (two), the Booterstown girls had destiny in their own hands.
Mangan’s neat three-point finish offered hope to Dominicans, but it was left for Nic Giolla Íosa to complete the scoring with a stoppage-time goal.
Scorers – Coláiste Íosagáin: E Nic Giolla Íosa 5-0, S Ní Bhriain 1-2, C Ní Bheaglaoich 1-1, R Ní Chathasaigh 0-2, A Curraoin, R Ní Dhrisceoil, A Ní Mhuirgheasa 0-1 each. Dominican College: A Mangan 2-4 (1-1f), M Tierney 2-0, A Cullen 1-0, I McGarry 0-1.
COLAISTE IOSAGAIN: N Ní Uiginn; E Nic Shuibhne, I Ní Ghallchoir, K Ní Fhionnáin; C Ní Eochagáin, A Ní Challanáin, C Nic Mhathúna; R Ní Chathasaigh, I Ní Dhúgáin; A Curraoin, C Ní Bheaglaoich, S Ní Bhriain; R Ní Dhrisceoil, E Nic Giolla Íosa, A Ní Mhuirgheasa.
DOMINICAN COLLEGE: H Redmond; K Kelly, N Bergin, K Moran; R Fitzsimons, A Nolan, SL Nolan; E Ahern, C McMahon; A McDonald, A Mangan, A Cullen; I McGarry, M Tierney, J Gerrard. Subs: E Begley for Gerrard (45).
Referee: F Gaffney (Na Fianna).