Minor glory for Newport/Ballinahinch

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance County Minor ‘C’ Championship Final 2021

Newport/Ballinahinch 1-9

Kilruane MacDonaghs 0-4

Report: Liam Hogan in Puckane

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Clara Collins (Newport/Ballinahinch)

SCORERS - Newport/Ballinahinch: Clara Collins, Abbie Lenihan (2 frees) 0-3 each; Laura Parsons 1-0; Sinead O’Riordan 0-2; Áine Finn 0-1.

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Áine Spain 0-2 frees; Ali O’Kelly, Sarah Cleary 0-1 each.

Newport/Ballinahinch defeated Kilruane MacDonaghs in a well contested County Minor ‘C’ Camogie Championship final on Sunday.

The new champions took their time to lay down a marker. They led 0-3 to 0-2 at half time before upping the tempo in the second half before they kicked on. Indeed, they might have won by a far bigger margin but for a number of handling errors and lack of control with their sticks at vital times and in addition, the winners hit eleven wides, nine in the second half while Kilruane hit seven in total.

But in fairness the timing of the game is important to note. Playing camogie finals in January is not ideal and the spectacle would have been much better in terms of skill and control had it been played in warmer summer conditions.

Before the game got under way there was a minute’s silence for Mary Troy who passed recently. Mary was the Child Welfare Officer and former vice chairperson of the Newport/Ballinahinch Camogie club.

Kilruane fielded a very young team, fielding three on the age as fifteen-year-old Ali O’Kelly had them in front after two minutes with a well-taken point. But the Newport/Ballinahinch team which included two Ballinahinch girls were level two minutes later when Abbie Lenihan levelled with a free before the excellent Clara Collins gave the Combo the lead in the sixth minute.

But Kilruane were working the harder with Anna Mulcahy and fifteen-year-old Sarah Cleary prominent and their hard work eventually paid off when Áine Spain levelled with a free in the tenth minute. However, the response from Newport/Ballinahinch was quick. With the hardworking Áine Finn catching Emily Hurley’s accurate puckout, she transferred possession to Clara Collins who doubled her tally giving Newport/Ballinahinch a lead they would never relinquish.

The Combo sustained their one-point lead at the water-break and when play resumed both sides tried in vain to make a breakthrough but both backlines were defiant until Abbie Lenihan’s free in added time made it 0-4 to 0-2 for the half time break.

Newport/Ballinahinch were quick to move on as the second half got under way and had to wait just twenty-four seconds before Sinead O’Riordan had the Combo’s lead increased to three. Over ninety seconds later the lead increased to six when Laura Parsons ghosted inside the Kilruane cover before she scored a goal. Parsons had operated at midfield in the first half but switched roles with Clara Collins during half time.

The early scores seemed to have inspired the victors with Sinead O’Riordan and Áine Finn creating chances, but Kilruane defended well thanks to Aisling Nevin and Leanne Gould with Emma Williams refusing to give in. Up front Ali O’Kelly and Sara Cleary met stiff opposition from a well marshalled Newport/Ballinahinch defence.

However, their work earned them a close in free in the twelfth minute of the second half which Áine Spain converted, yielding first score since the tenth minute, some twenty-seven minutes of a lapse.

Yet again, Newport/Ballinahinch were quick to respond with Áine Finn securing a point. Two minutes after the second water break, Abbie Lenihan increased her side’s lead with the very busy Sinead O’Riordan adding another point a minute later.

Sarah Cleary pulled one back for Kilruane but any potential score for MacDonaghs was denied with Newport/Ballinahinch captain Nadine Stokes very prominent with her many clearances saving the day for the winners who ventured up-field one more time for Clara Collins to strike her third point from play and signal victory for the new champions.

TEAMS - Newport/Ballinahinch: Emily Hurley; Aoife Mellerick, Robin Coffey; Nadine Stokes, Eimear Carey; Laura Parsons, Isobel Ivors, Abbie Lenihan; Sinead O’Riordan, Áine Finn; Slaine Goodwin, Clara Collins.

Subs: Emma Healy for Goodwin (42); Clara Noonan for Parsons (46).

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Grainne O’Meara; Aisling Nevin, Leanne Gould; Anna Mulcahy, Emma Williams; Mollie Kennedy, Nikita McGrath, Sarah Cleary; Abigail Quinlivan, Ali O’Kelly; Áine Spain, Amy McCarthy.

Subs: Christine Percy for McGrath (25 inj); Orna Daly for Mulcahy (38); Lucy O’Brien for Quinlivan (42); Aoibhe Spillane for Spain (46).

Referee: Tommy Ryan (Kiladangan)