Defeat by Annacarty sends Borris-Ileigh into relegation mire

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Group 2 Round 5

Borris-Ileigh 2-12

Eire Og Annacarty/D 5-10

Borris-Ileigh face into a battle to retain their senior status after this defeat to Eire Og Annacarty in the final game of group 1 of the County Championship in Borrisoleigh on Saturday which saw the West Tipp side progress to the quarter finals.

Five first half goals from the visitors helped them to their first win of the championship and a coveted quarter final spot while exiling Borris-ileigh to a relegation battle with Silvermines.

Annacarty’s championship finally sprung to life with two goals in the opening seven minutes and another three by half time to give them a 5-4 to 0-5 lead at the break.

They didn’t have it all their own way and led by the excellent Nicole Walsh, Borris-Ileigh fought to the bitter end and finished with two late goals to outscore Annacarty 2-7 to 0-6 in the second half.

In reality, Sean Maher’s side left themselves with too big of a hill to climb and they’ll have huge regrets about the eight minute spell between the 15th & 23rd minutes when Annacarty hit them for 3-2 without reply.

Borris-Ileigh had the opening two scores of the game thanks to two Nicole Walsh frees, going onto have a personal tally of 2-11 out of 2-12.

An early shot by Annacarty was brought down by the Borris keeper Kellie Healy but only into the path of the incoming Annacarty forward who was fouled, and a penalty awarded. Up stepped Eva O’Dwyer and she got Annacarty off the mark with a green flag after just five minutes.

Two minutes later, the umpires were reaching for a green flag again when Danielle Ryan finished off a well-worked team move for the visitors.

At the other end, Nicole Walsh and Rosanna O’Donnell were having a great battle. A pointed free followed by one from play left at 2-0 to 0-4 after twelve minutes.

Jean Kelly then exploded into life showing off all her speed and skill with 1-1 in quick succession; the goal coming after a lovely pass from Eva O’Dwyer.

Four minutes later, it was disaster for Borris-Ileigh when a free from Eva O’Dwyer deceived everyone and snuck under the crossbar, making it 4-1 to 0-4.

Leah Heffernan and Jean Kelly added points as the Borris defence were being run ragged before Nicole Walsh struck a free to stop the Annacarty onslaught.

Sarah Burke, who was in superb form for Annacarty at wing back clearing her lines time and again, got on the scoresheet with a huge free from distance before O’Dwyer concluded the first half scoring with a point from play as Annacarty led comfortably at the break 5-4 to 0-5.

Borris-Ileigh needed a good start to the second half and Nicole Walsh obliged with two frees. Lucy Heffernan responded with a point for the visitors before Borris pointed three in a row, two more frees from Walsh and a point from Ava Bevans, Borris-Ileigh’s only other scorer.

Walsh and O’Dwyer exchanged frees before Danielle Ryan had two points in a row for Annacarty to make it 5-9 to 0-12 with 53 minutes gone.

Borris-Ileigh had Annacarty on the back foot for large parts of the second half as they played with a renewed determination that was absent in the opening half. The half back line of Katie Fitzgerald, Julieanne Bourke and Avril Ryan grew more into the game and ensured no more Annacarty forwards were getting in for goals. Tess Ryan and Grace Stapleton made an impact of the bench and were both looking lively as Borris went in search of a badly needed goal.

A chance went abegging in the 45th minute when Nicole Walsh struck a penalty narrowly wide. She made amends burying both a 57th minute free and an 59th minute penalty as the continued Borris-Ileigh pressure paid off.

Jennifer Heffernan got the final score of the game to seal Annacarty’s victory, the win seeing them jump ahead of Knockavilla Kickhams on score difference and finish third in the group, meaning a date with Clonoulty/Rossmore in next weekend’s quarter finals.

Player of the Match: Sarah Burke (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill)

Borris-Ileigh: Kellie Healy (6); Sinead O’Meara (6), Niamh McGrath (6), Eve Maher (6); Katie Fitzgerald (7), Julieanne Bourke (7), Avril Ryan (7); Aoife Ryan (7), Therese Groome (7); Aoife Fitzgerald (6), Dani Ryan (6), Ava Bevans (0-1, 7); Christine Kenny (7), Nicole Walsh (2-11, 1-0 pen, 1-10f) 9), Noirin Stapleton (6).

Subs: Tess Ryan (7) for Stapleton, Grace Stapleton (6) for A Fitzgerald, Emma Maher (6) for D Ryan.

Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill: Danielle Butler (7); Caoimhe Brady (7), Rosanna O’Donnell (7), Orlagh Walsh (7); Shauna Heffernan (7), Ciannait Walsh (8), Sarah Burke (0-1f, 9); Orla O’Brien (7), Eibhlis McDonald (6); Jennifer Heffernan (0-1, 7), Jean Kelly (2-1, 8), Danielle Ryan (1-2, 8); Lucy Heffernan (0-1, 7), Eva O’Dwyer (2-3, 1-0 pen, 1-1f) 8), Leah Heffernan (0-1, 7).

Sub: Elaine Kelly (6) for McDonald.

Referee: Joe Kearney (Clonoulty/Rossmore).