McMullan hat-trick makes it Eoghan Rua’s day

Eoghan Rua 3-8
The Harps 2-3

A hat-trick of goals from full-forward Grace McMullan was the key contribution as Eoghan Rua made the journey from Coleraine count to win the All-Ireland club intermediate camogie title in fine fashion.
Grßinne McGoldrick weighed in with seven points, while her sister and team captain MÚabh was a commanding presence at centre-back but it was McMullan’s goals that turned the tide in Eoghan Rua’s favour, when it looked like The Harps would add this championship to the three-in-a-row annexed at junior level.
The Laois champions began alertly with a brace of points from an -ine O’Mahony free and Angela Hanlon.
It took Eoghan Rua nine minutes to respond but two converted frees by Grßinne McGoldrick had the sides level.
Laura Saunders found the net in the 20th minute after a goalmouth scramble to give The Harps the advantage again and they could have had at least one more goal in the resultant period of dominance, while they also finished with six wides in the first half.
They were punished for this profligacy when McMullan broke in behind their defence in the first minute of injury time and showed searing pace before coolly picking her spot and finding it with a crisp strike.
She almost struck again from the next attack but made no mistake four minutes later when MÚabh McGoldrick’s strong run and clearance came her way in the last act of the opening stanza to give her side a 2-5 to 1-2 interval advantage.
The Harps took some time to recover from that setback and two Grßinne McGoldrick frees early in the second half gave their opponents even more breathing space.
Aisling Phelan’s 45th minute goal put the game back into the melting pot and reinvigorated the Leinster representative but a pointed free from -ine Mahony was all they had to show for plenty of possession.
Eoghan Rua were more clinical though and McMullan’s third strike right on the hour, after Teresa Bennett had saved a Rosanna McAleese shot, cemented the verdict.

Eoghan Rua: A Moore; A Carey, K Maybin, M Heneghan; E McNamee, M McGoldrick, M Mooney; M Kerr, J Carey; M Dillon, G McGoldrick 0-7(6fs), S Boyle; H Eastwood, G McMullan 3-1, R McAleese. Subs: K Mullan for Eastwood (39); A Archibald for McNamee (53)
The Harps: T Bennett; E Cuddy, D Quigley, P Dunphy; C Walsh, C Phelan, M Fitzpatrick; L Mahony, J Prior; A Mahony 0-2(fs), A Hanlon 0-1, E Mahony; J Dollard, A Phelan 1-0, L Saunders 1-0. Subs: R Phelan for Saunders (40); H Keane for Prior inj (50); B Dunne for L Mahony (57)
Referee: M O’Kelly (Cork)

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