REPORTS: Semi final wins for Drom and Clonoulty in senior camogie championship

FBD Insurance Senior Camogie Championship Semi Finals

Drom & Inch 4-9

Éire Óg Annacarty 0-15

An incredible attacking display in the first half which included four goals paved the way for Drom & Inch to book their spot in yet another senior camogie final as they got the better of Éire Óg Annacarty relatively comfortably in the Ragg in the first semi final last Saturday afternoon.

First half goals from Niamh Treacy (2), Miriam Campion, and Niamh Ryan put Drom in what turned out to be an unassailable position, as they completely overran the Éire Óg full back line at times, as the west women simply couldn’t live with the pace and attacking flair of their opponents.

Niamh Treacy in particular had a fantastic game, deployed at full forward for much of the game, her hard running and pace was a big benefit to a Drom & Inch team currently going hard in search of four county titles in a row.

Drom started the match like a team who were looking to lay down the law to their challengers, and they had Niamh Treacy to thank for providing the scoring touch, finishing to the net from close range with just 90 seconds gone on the clock.

Indeed, they continued to exploit the weaknesses in the Éire Óg full back line in the next five minutes with an Aoife McGrath point from distance, before a second goal for Drom and Niamh Treacy, who once again took full advantage of space in the full forward line to power through and let fly to score her second.

It was quickly turning into a horrorshow for Éire Óg as they had conceded a third goal in the 13th minute, this time, Miriam Campion being afforded way too much room to fire home a rasper after good play, and by the time that goal went in, the scoreboard had Drom ahead 3-2 to 0-1.

Eíre Óg were keeping in touch with frees from Eva O’Dwyer but they were been torn apart way too often, looking incredibly open at the back, and despite a good save from Aoife Butler in the 25th minute from a Miriam Campion shit, she couldn’t keep out Niamh Ryan on the rebound, as that goal gave Drom a 4-5 to 0-8 lead at half time.

Éire Óg would need a very productive opening to the second half to have any chance at pulling that lead back, and to be fair, they did start well despite an early Eimear McGrath free, scoring the next four points in a row up to the 43rd minute from three Eva O’Dwyer points (two frees), and a well taken point from Eibhlis McDonald pulled the game back to a six point contest.

They did manage to come within five points in the final quarter, but it was never going to be enough for Éire Óg as Drom copper fastened their win with a brace of frees from Eimear McGrath to take the game away from their opponents as they go one step closer to another county title with Clonoulty Rossmore once again their opponents.

Scorers: Drom & Inch: Niamh Treacy 2-1, Miriam Campion 1-3 , Niamh Ryan 1-0, Eimear McGrath 0-4f, Aoife McGrath 0-1.

Éire Óg Annacarty: Eva O’Dwyer (0-10, 0-7f, 0-2 45s), Eibhlis McDonald, Orla O’Brien 0-2 each, Cinnait Walsh 0-1.

Drom & Inch: Caoimhe Bourke; Maureen Ryan, Christina Brennan, Eimear Cahill; Aoife McGrath, Mairead Eviston, Aine Greed; Niamh Long, Mary Burke; Eimear McGrath, Anne Eviston, Caroline Shanahan; Niamh Treacy, Miriam Campion, Niamh Ryan.

Subs: Katie O’Dwyer for N Ryan; Michelle Woodlock for Long; Joanne Ryan for A Eviston.

Éire Óg Annacarty: Aoife Butler; Mary O’Dwyer, Rosanna O’Donnell, Laura Heffernan; Shauna Heffernan, Karen Fox, Orlagh Walsh; Cinnait Walsh, Elaine Kelly; Leah Heffernan, Rachel O’Dwyer, Orla O’Brien; Jean Kelly, Eva O’Dwyer, Eibhlis McDonald.

Subs: Cora Heffernan for E Kelly.

Referee: Philip Shanahan (Nenagh Éire Óg)

Clonoulty Rossmore 1-13

Cashel King Cormacs 1-12

Clonoulty Rossmore have set up another tilt at Drom & Inch in this year’s county final after being forced all the way to the wire by a strong and admirable effort by Cashel King Cormacs in the Ragg in the second semi-final last Saturday afternoon.

Clonoulty were second best to their west rivals for large parts of this contest, but they showed some serious mettle and experience to put their shoulder to the wheel in the final quarter of the game, with a goal from Casey Hennessy in the 45th minute proving to be a huge score.

County panelists Cait Devane, Clodagh Quirke, and Casey Hennessy were in excellent for all game for Clonoulty, keeping the fight going at all times, even when against the pump, as Cashel were the better team for large spells of the match.

Indeed, they started brightly from the throw-in with a powerful run from Karin Blair manufacturing the first scoring chance of the game, which Blair struck herself from 40 metres out straight over the black spot to give her side an early lead.

Frees would be the staple scoring medium for both teams in the opening quarter, with Annie Fahie responding to that brace of Devane frees with two of her own up to the 13th minute as the sides drew level at 0-3 apiece.

The first points of the game came from Clonoulty sticks though, with Cait Devane pointing a brilliant effort from the far sideline on the run in the 14th minute, before Casey Hennessy repeated that feat with a surging run and finish a minute later.

It was all going tit-for-tat as Cashel mimicked that scoring salvo from their opponents, with Anna Fahie scoring her first from play along with Caoimhe Purdue who was looking threatening in the full forward line

Eimear Bourke pointed her first of the day in the 17th minute, which was added to by a pair of Devane frees in the next five minutes to give Clonoulty a 0-7 to 0-5 lead, but Cashel finished the half strongly indeed, scoring four unanswered points from

Aine O’Dwyer, Caoimhe Purdue, and two Anna Fahie frees to give them a two point lead at the break. Cashel were outworking Clonoulty in the first half, and a few changes on the touch line paid dividends with Devane and Hennessy switching positions, as the space at centre forward for the latter gave Clonoulty much needed pace, and Devane had another from play after a Hennessy delivery for the first score of the half at three minutes.

It was all square four minutes later with Devane converting a close range free, and it looked like the tide was slowly turning as Clonoulty began to dominate, but Caoimhe Purdue had other ideas in the 38th minute, running onto a Nicole Shelly whip along the ground to power through on goal and blast home a goal, and with Anna Fahie pointing a free soon after, Cashel led 1-10 to 0-9 after 43 minutes.

But it didn’t stop the Clonoulty momentum as they dominated the final quarter with two Devane frees bringing it back to two points, before they hit the front through a Casey Hennessy goal after a powerful run, and with Anna Fahie and Devane sharing four frees equally in the final ten minutes, Clonoulty held firm to confirm their spot in yet another county decider against rivals Drom & Inch in a few weeks time.

Scorers: Clonoulty Rossmore: Cait Devane (0-11, 0-9f), Casey Hennessy 1-1, Eimear Bourke 0-1.

Cashel King Cormacs: Anna Fahie (0-8, 0-7f), Caoimhe Purdue 1-2, Aine O’Dwyer 0-1, Karin Blair 0-1f.

Clonoulty Rossmore: Therese White; Lorna Ryan, Moira Kinane, Aoife Bourke; Bernadette Ryan, Clodagh Quirke, Eimear Loughman; Sinead Ryan, Courtney Ryan; Kate Ferncombe, Kate Ryan, Cait Devane; Eimear Bourke, Casey Hennessy, Avril Quirke.

Subs: Sophie Maher for K Ryan (39) ; Shannon Quirke for B Ryan (43); Kellie Quirke for A Bourke (46); Kayleigh Davern for Ferncombe (57).

Cashel King Cormacs: Aoife O’Brien; Ella O’Dwyer, Sorcha Ryan, Meadbh Elle Ryan; Laura Connolly, Lily Fahie, Amy Crosse; Katelyn Downey, Nicole Shelly; Karin Blair, Aine O’Dwyer, Anna Fahie; Grace Moloney, Philly Fogarty, Caoimhe Purdue.

Subs: Una O’Dwyer for ME Ryan (49); Ciara Dwan for S Ryan (59, inj).

Referee: TP O’Sullivan (Nenagh Éire Óg)