Cork Camogie News – Championship Game Reviews

Muskerry 4-14 Imokilly 0-3
Spearheaded by senior inter county players Sile Burns, Catriona Foley and Linda Dorgan County champions Muskerry opened the defensive of their Evening Echo senior championship crown with an impressive victory over Imokilly on Saturday night. Imokilly stayed the distance through the opening quarter but a rather fortuitous Muskerry goal seven minutes from the break signalled what was to follow as through the second half the champions upped the pace to dominate completely.
 Muskerry had strength in key areas and this was crucial, at centre back Cork captain Catriona Foley was inspirational time out of number driving Imokilly back with sweeping clearances, Linda Dorgan did trojan work at mid field while up front Sile Burns Margaret O Herlihy and Denise Cronin were the thorns in Imokilly side.
The champions led by two points inside five minutes Sile Burns on target pointing a forty five before striking one from play as Imokilly matched them stride for stride with Mary O Connor operating up front at full forward tapped over two points frees. Enjoying plenty of possession aided by the stiff breeze Imokilly looked as if they were going to trouble the champions, twice they came close to snatching a goal but Muskerry survived.
Margaret O Herlihy edged Muskerry ahead with an eighteenth minute point and the same player came close to grabbing a goal minutes later, her effort flying across the face of the goal and wide but seconds later Linda Dorgan found the net when her long range strike for a point ended up in the Imokilly net and from here to the finish Muskerry were dominant. Denise Cronin pointing twice and in between Margaret O Herlihy grabbed a goal as she left the Imokilly defence in her wake before blasting to the net and Imokilly’s now feeling the pressure could only reply  with a point from the hard working Angela Walsh.
The second half belonged to Muskerry and to in particular to Sile Burns who notching up 1-7 as the Imokilly challenge faded.
Aided by the strengthening wind Muskerry quickly stretched their advantage Denise Cronin pointed inside a minute and from here to the twentieth minute it was all Muskerry, Sile Burns send a free to the net before adding six points without reply to her sides tally.  Margaret O Herlihy helped herself to 1-1 and the final say was fitting left to Sile Burns who added a point before Cathal Egan blew the final whistle.
And so a strong statement of intend from the champions who will meet the winners of the Seandun/ Carrigdhoun clash in the next round and on this form they will take stopping.
                              
**A late venue change saw the game switched at very short notice from Delaney’s to Mayfield and the club must be compliments on helping the county board out at the eleventh hour.

Scorers for Muskerry S Burns 1-9(0-2f 0-1 45″”), M O Herlihy 2-2, L Dorgan 1-0, D Cronin 0-3
Imokilly M O Connor 0-2 (f) A Walsh 0-1
MUSKERRY  t o Donnell (Ballincollig);C MC Kenna (Eire Og),S Gleeson (Eire Og),C Foley (Rockban), C MC Kenna (Eire OG); L Dorgan,(Grenagh) ,M O Donoghue(Ballincollig);E O Herlihy(Eire) A MC Kenna (Eire OG), D Cronin (Ballincollig); S Burns (Rockban) (C),C O Leary (Eire Og), M O Herlihy (Eire OG)
Subs A. Lovett (Ballincollig) for C Mc Kenna (46), C MC Carthy (Eire Og) for C O Leary (inj 46) S Buckley for L Dorgan (inj 56)

IMOKILLY: Y O Keeffe (Fr O Neills); A.M. Walsh (Killeagh), N Barry (Castleyons), U Day (Fr O Neills); J Murphy (Sarsfields), E O Farrell (Sarsfields),
C Motherway (Dungourney); A. Walsh (Killeagh ) E Murphy (Sarsfields);C Smith (Erins Own) E Roynane (Dungourney),E O Connell (Youghal); E Rohan ( Dungourney), M O Connor (Killeagh ) ( C) , C O Callaghan (Erins Own)
Subs O Barry (Sarsfields) for E O Connell (h/t)

Referee Cathal Egan Glen Rovers

ST CATHERINES PIP CLOUGDUV
BY MARY NEWMAN

ST CATHERINES 1-7 CLOUGHDUV 0-9
A goal deep into injury time gave St. Catherines the lead for the first time in this entertaining Evening Echo Senior Camogie Championship in Douglas last night.
Twelve months ago the sides met in championship where Cloughduv recorded a  comprehensive victory, this time out a year older and wiser St Catherines fought to the finish and were rewarded as they grabbed a winner when all looked lost.
Cloughduv started brightly and led 0-4 to 0-0 thanks to the accuracy of Una O’ Donoghue who shot over three points from play and one from a free inside fourteen minutes.
St Catherines shrugged off a nervous start to get on the score board fifteen minutes into the game Orla Cotter converting a free and continuing to apply pressure they kept the Cloughduv defence on their toes.
Breige Corkery working tireless for Cloughduv fired over a point to stretch the advantage but again Orla Cotter displayed her accuracy with a pointed free.
With half-time looming and play swinging from end to end both defences were giving little away, Breige Corkery and Orla Cotter traded points as Cloughduv led 0-6 to 0-3 at the break.
With the cross wind in their favour on the resumption St. Catherines were quick off the mark Orla Cotter converting their fourth point inside a minute as their quest for a score from play continued.  With both defences holding firm their was little between the teams Una O’Donoghue edged Cloughduv further ahead in reply to which Orla Cotter responded for St Catherines first from play four minutes into the half but from here to the eighteenth minute neither defence yielded and we had to wait nearly eighteen minutes before the next score as Orla Cotter converted a free to cut the lead to just one point.
Again it was nip and tuck as Cloughduv just kept their noses ahead Una O’Donoghue pointed two frees in the nineteenth and twenty fifth minute in between Orla Cotter did likewise. 
With the game moving into injury time Cloughduv were holding on, as the Conna girls summoned up one last assault in search of the winner Orla Cotter floated a long ball into the square where Deirdre Twomey got a touch to finish to the net to give her side the lead for the first time.
Cloughduv swept up field from the puck out but the St Catherines defence cleared to safety to the sound of the full time whistle, leaving Cloughduv stunned and facing a back door meeting with neighbours Aghbullogue as the æSaints’ march on into round three.           
SCORERS FOR ST CATHERINES O Cotter 0-7 (0-6f) Deirdre Twomey 1-0
CLOUGHDUV U O Donoghue 0-7(0-3f) B Corkery 0-2
ST CATHERINES D Leahy; F Noonan, N Mulcahy, H Lane; Y O’Neill, L Power, O Neville; O Cotter( C), F Cotter; L Higgins, M O’Keeffe, F Neville;         
Deirdre Twomey, A. M. Hayes, Denise Twomey
Subs J Hurley for M O Keeffe (46) 
CLOUGHDUV A Murray; A. Buckley, S Corkery, Emma Dunne, M Corkery, O Mc Carthy, J O’Callaghan; B Corkery, J Lucey; U O’Donoghue, Eva Dunne, Marie Lucey, C O’Donoghue, S Buckley, A Barry Murphy

Referee Cathal Egan Glen Rovers

INNISCARRA RECORD VICTORY
BY MARY NEWMAN

INNISCARRA 2-10 BARRYROE 0-7
In the finish the victory margin of nine points somewhat flattered Inniscarra but no denying they were deserving of their victory in the first game of a double header  of Evening Echo senior camogie championship action in Brinney last evening.
Barryroe battled to the finish but the loss of their two senior inter county players Jennifer O Leary (travelling for a year) and the injured Rosarie Holland was just too big a mountain to climb. Inniscarra had tremendous displays from their younger brigade, Cork under 16s Katie O Mahony and Joanne Casey showed maturity beyond their years confidently striking vital score while Cork minor Niamh Dilworth was also prominent Inniscarra were grateful to their goal keeper Sinead Ni Riain who made crucial saves at vital stages denying Barryroe on at least three occasions in the second half.
A goal from Margaret Noelle O Sullivan nine minutes from the break helped Inniscarra enjoy a 1-7 to 0-3 interval lead after they had enjoyed the better of the first half exchanges. Niamh Dilworth points two early frees before Rosemary Dineen had Barryroe on the score board, Ger Collins levelled inside the opening quarter but Niamh Dilworth and Joanne Casey had edged Inniscarra ahead before O Sullivan first timed a ground shot past Eimear White in the Barryroe goal and boosted by this Inniscarra tacked on three point to which Barryroe replied with one from Rosemary Dineen.
 A determined Barryroe applied early second half pressure and were denied goals twice by an alert Sinead Ni Riain but with Louise Gannon converting the resulting forty fives and Ger Collins adding a point from play the margin was down to four points inside ten minutes of the restart. Katie O Mahony struck an excellent point from long range but Barryroe battled on and missed a glorious chance to cut the deficit when they opted to go for goal from a score able free  when a point look the better option with fourteen minutes remaining.
Inniscarra sensing a let off regrouped and when Joanne Casey finished to the net from the edge of the square Barryroe had it all to do, Louise Gannon pointed a forty five after another goal chance was denied by the Inniscarra defence and with Niamh Dilworth pointing twice before the full time whistle Inniscarra were safely thorough to the draws for round three leaving Barryroe to face a back door meeting with the winners of the divisional plays off which will be either county champions Muskerry or Carrigdhoun.

Scorers for Inniscarra: N Dilworth 0-5 (0-2f 0-1 45″”), J Casey and M. N. O Sullivan 1-1each, K O Mahony 0-2 A Kavanagh 0-1                                                  
 Barryroe R Dineen 0-2, G Collins 0-2 (0-1f) L Gannon 0-3 (45″”s)
INNISCARRA S Ni Riain; R Mc Carthy O Brien, M Buckley; T Murphy, R Buckley,  K Jones; N Dilworth, E. Kingston; J Casey N O Sullivan, A Kavanagh; G Desmond, M Cosgrave, K O Mahony
Subs; F O Connell for G Desmond (50) A O Keeffe for M Buckley (58)
 BARRYROE  E White; E Carroll, A M Fleming P Moloney; K Mc Carthy, C Dineen; A O Donoghue; I Dineen, L Gannon; S O Donovan, R Dineen, N O Driscoll; G Collins, E MC Carthy ( C), M Sheehy
Subs F Collins for M Sheehy (h/t0, D Collins for P Moloney (inj 54)  
Referee Oliver Webb, Tracton

WINNING DEBUT FOR DOUGLAS
BY MARY NEWMAN

DOUGLAS 1-17 AGHBULLOGUE 1-4

A strong second half performance ensured Douglas enjoyed a winning debut in the Evening Echo Senior camogie championshiop last evening in Brinney, but they had to dig to ensure victory against a tenacious Aghbullogue side that showed fierce determination and refused to give up. In the finish it was the ability to pick off points that stood to Douglas with players such as Cork under 16 Katrina Mackey, Julia White and Maria Harkin who this year transferred her allegiance to Douglas from Drom- Inch Tipperary, all that bit craftier than their opponents and when the need was greatest they had plenty in reserve to see them through while Aghbullogue lacked the killer instinct in front of goal that would have made a huge difference to their cause.    
In a close opening thirty minutes it was nip and tuck as both sides battled to gain control they enjoying ample possession  and it was Aghabullogue who created the goal chances twice coming close only to be denied by the alert Jessica Kavanagh who cleared smartly to safety. Katrina Mackey opened the scoring with a pointed free but Aileen Twomey replied for Aghbullogue and with both defences on top scores were scarce.  Two points from Julia White who was caused plenty of problems for the Aghbullogue defence and two pointed free from Katrina Mackey and Amanda O Regan helped Douglas enjoy a 0-5 to 0-1 interval lead.   
Douglas dictated the early exchanges in the second half and had stretched their lead to nine points thanks to Julia White Katrina Mackey and Maria Harkin and it looked as if they were going to run away with the game but suddenly Aghbullogue sprang to life with two Mary Buckley points. Jenny O Donovan and Julia White replied for Douglas but Aghbullogue continuing to show improvement and driven on by the excellent Sinead Buckley and Ciara Murphy  grabbed a goal with Mary O Sullivan getting the last touch to Ciara Murphys cross. Now just six points separated the sides as Katrina Mackey and Jill Crowley traded points and still Aghbullogue kept the pressure on but strong Douglas defending held them at bay.
 Julia White stretched the lead to seven and as Douglas upped the pace Aghbullogue had nothing left for a response and finishing stronger Douglas struck three points without reply Katrina Mackey and Aileen O Donovan on target before Jenny O Donovan’s goal two minutes into injury time sealed victory after a tough hour’s camogie.
The draws for round three will hold little fear for a confident Douglas outfit while Aghbullogue will have to prepare for a back door meeting with the losers from the Cloughduv St Catherines clash                                   

DOUGLAS J Kavanagh; S O Regan, L O Regan, L O Regan, F Mc Sweeney; H O Connor, A O Regan (  C), P Mackey; H O Mahony, E Morgan; J White, M Harkin, K Mackey; E Jordan, M O Donovan, A O Donovan.
Subs Jenny O Donovan for E Jordan (43)

AGHBULLOGUE E O Connell; Marian Twomey, J Twomey, L Ronan; C Kiely, S Buckley, J Crowley; C Murphy,  M Buckley; N O Connell ( C),B Twomey, A Twomey; M Healy, A  Lehane, Mairead Twomey
 Subs E MC Sweeney for A. Lehane (h/t), M O Sullivan for Mairead Twomey (h/t) 
Referee Michael Sheehan, Liscarroll

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