Lismore 3-8 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-7
Caithriona McGlone was the hat trick hero as Lismore lifted the AIB All-Ireland intermediate club camogie title in fine style in Clonmel Sportsfields on Sunday afternoon. Lismore left it late to snatch a dramatic leveller in the original drawn game in Croke Park but McGlone’s heroics in front of goal meant that this was altogether more comfortable affair for them.
The game swung on McGlone’s first goal in the final minute of the first half. It came at a time that Lismore were beginning to get on top after Ballyhale Shamrocks had led for most of the opening 30 minutes.
Kellyanne Cottrell’s accurate free taking moved her team into a 0-5 to 0-3 lead in the closing stages of the first period before McGlone struck. Johanna Houlihan won possession for Lismore following a Ciara Fennelly puck out before driving towards goal. She drew the Ballyhale defence out of position before slipping a pass into McGlone and she didn’t need a second invitation to fire home.
That left Lismore ahead by 1-3 to 0-5 at the break and they went on to completely shut the Shamrocks out of the game after the restart. Aoife Hannon and Shona Curran kept the scoreboard ticking over for Lismore but it was the pressure that they were putting Ballyhale under all over the field that really made the difference. Every time Ballyhale won possession, there was a Lismore player there beside them to win it back and the fact that the Shamrocks scored just two second half point bore testament to that.McGlone’s second goal was all her own work in the 38th minute and again there was little that Ciara Fennelly could do to prevent her well struck shot from hitting the net.
The icing was put on the cake for Lismore in the final couple of minutes when McGlone completed her hat trick after winning possession herself. It was a fantastic way to finish off the game for her personally and also her team. McGlone’s performance certainly stated her case to be nominated player of the match but she was closely followed by Aoife Hannon and Shona Curran who were also superb on the day.
Ballyhale Shamrocks will rue the fact that only Kellyanne Cottrell got on the scoresheet for them, and all but one of her seven points came from frees, and overall there was no disputing Lismore were the better team on the day.
LISMORE: A O’Brien, S Coughlan, S Prendergast, M Russell, A Houlihan, S Kiernan, S Fenton, N Morrissey, S Curran 0-2fs, L Buckley, G Kenneally, A Hannon 0-6 (4fs), C McGlone 3-0, J Houhlihan, R Geoghegan.
BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS: C Fennelly, C Cororan, R Fennelly, O Fennelly, E O’Dwyer, J Frisby, B Fennelly, C Connolly, E Frisby, E Fitzpatrick, K Cottrell 0-7 (6fs), K Fennelly, L Elvidge, M Fennelly, E Darmody.
Referee: John Dolan (Clare).
