By Séamas McAleenan
Coláiste Muire Ennis 1-13
Borris VS 0-8
Player of the match in the Allianz All-Ireland Junior B post-primary schools’ final was an easy task for the selectors in Abbeyleix yesterday. Coláiste Muire centre-forward Kate Hayes gave a masterful display in the dead-ball striking, added two more points from play and then iced the cake with a goal in injury time.
In total Hayes accumulated 1-11 of her team’s total and a second Ennis player, Aimee Colleran, didn’t score until the 46th minute, by which point the Clare school were 0-10 to 0-8 ahead.
Borris fought well throughout and there was little between the sides in general play. However the concession of frees was fatal to their chances.
Roisín Joyce kept track of Hayes with frees in the first half. Indeed the scoring was all about frees particularly in that first half hour.
Hayes scored seven of her eight first-half points from the dead ball while for Borris, Joyce (two) and Niamh Tracey responded from frees and Joyce (two) and Ellen Barrett added points from open play. That left it 0-8 to 0-6 at the break.
Although Hayes added the first two points of the second half, Joyce and Alannah Coady responded towards the end of the third quarter. However Borris did not score after that and Colleran chipped in with a neat point under pressure. Lauren Cusack added another in the 53rd minute, before Hayes appropriately completed the scoring with her 11th point and an injury time goal.
Coláiste Muire have now become the first team to collect the Cup on three occasions. They were the first ever winners in 1999 and added a second six years later.
SCORERS FOR COLÁISTE MUIRE: K Hayes 1-11 (0-9fs); A Colleran, L Cusack 0-1 each
SCORERS FOR BORRIS VS: R Joyce 0-5(3fs); N Tracey(f), E Barrett, A Coady(f) 0-1 each
COLÁISTE MUIRE: M Burke, C Jones, É O’Driscoll, K King, H Ryan, A Murphy, S Queally, E Carmody, I Costelloe, L Cusack, K Hayes, K Jones, A Taafe, A Colleran, L Kent. Subs: S Kent for I Costelloe (48), T Moroney for E Carmody (59)
BORRIS VS: A Dowling, S Joyce, N Tracey, E Fenlon, N Doyle, G Wade, R Martin, A Dalton, A Coady, C O’Connell, R Joyce, E Barrett, R Kennedy, M Kavannagh, R Kelly. Subs: S McGilligan for C O’Connell (24), A Gladney for R Kelly (56)
REFEREE: James Lundon (Galway)
Allianz All-Ireland Junior C Final
St Raphael’s Loughrea 2-11
Coláiste Naomh Cormac 3-4
For the first time since their eight-in-a-row winning Senior As in 1992, St Raphael’s College Loughrea clinched All-Ireland camogie silverware when they were crowned Junior C champions in Woodmount, writes Darren Kelly.
Goals from Emily Lawless and Amelie Grogan set the platform in the opening quarter but they still needed five second-half Katie Murray frees plus white flags for Leah Behan and Leah O’Halloran to get over the line.
Lucy Lowry, Chloe Hollywood and Aideen Quinn got the goals for Naomh Cormac but they also had two further green flags for Quinn and Karla Mannion ruled out when no advantage accrued for the Leinster champions.
Indeed, Naomh Cormac just couldn’t catch a break as an Áine Rigney free during the first half didn’t count in referee Mike Ryan’s notes. But these decisions shouldn’t take away from St Raphael’s who showed a maturity and composure beyond their years dealing with every situation.
Naomh Cormac made the perfect start with a goal inside two minutes. Sustained pressure led to a short clearance landing in front of Lowry and her ground stroke deflected into the net. They added another point through Mannion on five minutes giving them a 1-1 to 0-2 lead as St Raphael’s had opened through Murray and O’Halloran.
However, the Galway side threatened to pull away with 2-2 unanswered. An O’Halloran run on six minutes allowed Lawless get their first goal. Lawless added a point before St Raphael’s second goal on tenminutes, when Grogan was allowed put power behind her shot. Murray tapped over a free two minutes later making it 2-4 to 1-1.
However, Naomh Cormac got back in contention with Rigney on target before their second goal. Hollywood took possession and buried to the net on 17 minutes. They did have another goal before the break after Quinn scored but advantage wasn’t allowed for an earlier Lauren Hoade challenge.
The Kilcormac school won a penalty on 31 minutes but Rigney’s strike was ruled out for rolling the ball though St Raphael’s joint manager John Hardiman was sent to the terrace. The teams shared four scores after the restart before two Murray placed balls had Raphael’s six up on 53 minutes.
Naomh Cormac needed a goal and it arrived when Rigney’s ball fell nicely for Quinn, who scored at the second attempt. Rigney added a 45 leaving just two between them but two Murray placed balls provided St. Raphael’s a 2-11 to 3-4 cushion.
They were the last official scores though Mannion did find the net for Naomh Cormac on 62 minutes only for the whistle to be blown. In the end, St. Raphael’s held on to win the schools’ first national title in over three decades.
Maedbh McClearn produced a couple of important blocks in goal for the winners, Morgan was superb at full-back supported by Caoimhe McClearn and Aoife Connaughton. Murray dominated midfield while O’Halloran and Lawless excelled in attack.
SCORERS FOR ST RAPHAEL’S: K Murray 0-7 (5fS, 1 45); E Lawless 1-1; A Grogan 1-0; L O’Halloran 0-2; L Behan 0-1
SCORERS FOR COLÁISTE NAOMH CORMAC: A Quinn, L Lowry 1-0, C Hollywood 1-0 each; K Mannion(1f), A Rigney(1 f, 1 45) 0-2 each
ST RAPHAEL’S: M McClearn, C McClearn, A Morgan, L Hoade, A O’Meara, A Connaughton, L Shiel; C Corban, K Murray; A Liston, L O’Halloran, R Keogh; E Lawless, L Behan, A Grogan. Subs: A Morrissey for Hoade (33), Z Spellman for Grogan (54)
COLÁISTE NAOMH CORMAC: C Spain, E Bracken, E Gleeson, K Feighery, M Carroll, E Kilmartin, M Murray, L Fitzgerald, K Mannion, I Gleeson, Á Rigney, L Lowry, C Hollywood, A Quinn, A Hollywood. Subs: E Bracken for Murray (14), L Hand for A Hollywood (48)
REFEREE: Mike Ryan (Tipperary)
Allianz All-Ireland Junior D Final
Mercy Roscommon 1-9
St Augustine’s Dungarvan 0-12
A replay will be needed next Saturday to separate Mercy Convent Roscommon and St Augustine’s Dungarvan after the Allianz Junior D final in Rathdowney yesterday, writes Séamas McAleenan.
The Friary got off to a great start with two points from Eimear O’Neill in the opening minute, but Mercy were soon level through scores from Síofra Hession and the teams traded points through to the break when they were on 0-6 each.
Lillian Hallahan was the star of the first half with a penalty save from Hession in the tenth minute and she enhanced her reputation further with another excellent stop nine minutes into the second half.
At that stage her team were three points up, thanks again to a good start to the half from O’Neill (two) and then Mischa Lyons finishing a cross-field solo run with St Augustine’s ninth point.
Hazel Kelly pulled a point back from a free before Hession hit the net for Mercy after Hallahan had saved yet again, this time from Alannah Sutton. When Kelly added a free to take Mercy two points ahead, they seemed to have the momentum to finish the job. However, O’Neill, with points from frees in the 53rd and 56th minutes, tied the teams on 0-11 to 1-8.
There was still time for drama in added time as Kelly and O’Neill exchanged points from frees, O’Neill’s salvo for Dungarvan coming right at the death.
SCORERS FOR MERCY: S Hession 1-2(0-1f); H Kelly 0-5(3fs); K Kenny, L Murray 0-1 EACH
SCORERS FOR ST AUGUSTINE’S: E O’Neill 0-9(7fs); L Harty, A Treen, M Lyons 0-1 each
MERCY: M Tiernan, I Hanley, M White, M Bolger, G Geraghty, E Connaughton, C Killeen, L Murray, E Hough, S Hession, H Kelly, A Sutton, K Kenny, T O’Brien, A Kiernan. Sub: G Campbell for A Kiernan (56)
ST AUGUSTINE’S: L Hallahan, S Donnelly, G Maloney, O Whelan, S Kiely, L Harty, A Butler, E O’Neill, K Drohan, A Lattimore, A Treen, M Lyons, O Flynn, C Ahern, R Murray.
REFEREE: Kieran Bowe (Laois)
