St Patrick’s edge thrilling county final to secure back-to-back camogie titles

FBD Insurance County Junior B Camogie Championship Final

St Patrick’s 2-7

Drom & Inch 2-6

St Patrick’s (Drangan-Cloneen) edged out Drom & Inch in a thrilling FBD Insurance County Junior B Camogie Final at the county grounds at The Ragg on Sunday and thereby qualified for the County Junior A Championship next year.

In a rip-roaring contest, last year’s Junior C champions maintained their progress as this formerly formidable camogie stronghold continues to regain the ground lost in the recent barren few years.

A heavy downpour before the start of the game, a heavy sod and a biting cross-field breeze made conditions difficult for the sides, but they rose to the occasion in style in a contest that could have gone either way, a St Patrick’s goal twelve minutes from the end proving to be the decisive score.

Overall, St Patrick’s enjoyed a slight edge, but two first-half goals for Drom & Inch meant that they made the running most of the way in an encounter full of honest endeavour and graced by some fine individual performances.

St Patrick’s were relentless in pursuit of their rivals and got their reward when Erin Moroney and Niamh Keane combined to breach the Drom lines for their second goal to forge ahead for the first time after forty-eight minutes.

St Pat’s started well, the impressive Milly Cleere shooting three points in twenty minutes. Sandwiched between those scores was a Dee Dunne goal for Drom & Inch from a free which, coupled with a Joanne Ryan point earlier, gave Drom a lead they held for three-quarters of the journey.

A second goal after twenty-nine minutes by Antoinette Kennedy, following a big assist from Niamh Ryan, had Drom 2-3 to 0-4 ahead approaching the break, but from the restart, St Pat’s attacked for a Niamh Keane goal, and she pointed a free immediately afterwards to leave her side just one point adrift at the break, 1-5 to 2-3.

The restart saw Kate Fox level for St Patrick’s in a matter of seconds. Niamh Ryan and Antoinette Kennedy countered for Drom to push them clear again by forty minutes. Scores were at a premium, and at the start of the last quarter, Niamh Keane pointed a St Pat’s free for a one-point game (1-7 to 2-5).

In the forty-eighth minute came the decisive score, Niamh Keane’s shot being helped to the net by Erin Moroney for a 2-7 to 2-5 lead for the south girls. Drom & Inch were by no means finished and threw everything into attack, but a Dee Dunne point from a free six minutes from time was their only return, leaving St Pat’s narrow but deserving winners at Pat Murray’s full-time whistle.

Niamh Keane accepted the trophy for the delighted St Patrick’s contingent, having played a real captain’s part in the success. Milly Cleere, Kate Fox, Emily Fox, Evie Ahern and Erin Morrissey also had big games for the winners.

Drom & Inch had a handful of ex-seniors in their ranks and will regret not making better use of the chances that came their way, but all the girls played their hearts out to make this a contest befitting a final.

Joanne Ryan, Niamh Ryan, Nóirín Kirwan, Antoinette Kennedy, Gráinne Long and goalkeeper Kristina Kenneally were tireless in their efforts to bring the honours back to Drom & Inch, but they came up marginally short on the day.

Scorers: St Patrick’s: Niamh Keane (1-2, 0-2f), Erin Moroney 1-0, Milly Cleere 0-3, Jess Strappe, Kate Fox all 0-1 each.

Drom & Inch: Dee Dunne (1-2, 0-1f), Antoinette Kennedy 1-1, Niamh Ryan 0-2, Joanne Ryan 0-1.

St Patrick’s: Rachel Kelly; Keelin Ryan, Gemma Gahan, Erin O’Brien; Claire Fitzgerald, Emily Fox, Evie Ahern; Rosie O’Brien, Kate Fox; Grace Noonan, Milly Cleere, Jess Strappe; Eabha Hogan, Erin Moroney, Niamh Keane.

Subs used: Kate Corbett for Ryan (HT); Lucy O’Brien for Strappe (44); Eimear Boland for Noonan (44).

Drom & Inch: Kristina Kenneally; Grace Moore, Nóirín Kirwan, Patricia McGrath; Leanne Gleeson, Gráinne Long, Eimear Conroy; Ruth Maher, Cara Butler; Siobhan McGrath, Antoinette Kennedy, Aoife Ryan; Dee Dunne, Joanne Ryan, Niamh Ryan.

Referee: Pat Murray (Moneygall)