Dublin Senior Camogie Junior 4 Championship Final, Erin’s Isle 6-4 v Round Tower 1-5, Abbotstown, Sunday 28th October 2018. Match report courtesy Mick McGlynn & pictures Tommy Keogh.
A successful return to the Camogie playing pitches for our Seniors unfortunately did not culminate in Championship. A very strong Erins Isle team presented the defensive discipline and attacking threat that proved too much for the Towers ladies to combat. A big number of the Isle’s starting 15 had previously played Senior and unfortunately for Towers four key players were not available for the starting line-up.
The capacity of the northside team to notch goals ultimately proved Towers undoing. They carried a commanding 3-3 v 0-3 lead after the opening 30 minutes. On the six minute mark Towers keeper Heather McLoughlin deflected a free over the bar for the opening score of the game. She was powerless two minutes later when a high ball into the inside fowards was claimed by the full forward and she turned and struck across McLoughlin to the net. Our first point arrived on the ten minute mark courtesy of a Jade Hyland free. Ciara Ryan and Emma O’Malley then combined but Roisín O’Donnagáin struck narrowly wide. Fiona Walsh made a great block but Isle’s retrieved possession and their corner forwards flicked pass to the full forward was struck to the net with a groundstrike that finished in the corner. Ciara Devaney, Kirsten Gaffney and Aoife Murray won possession back in the Towers defence but the physicality of Isle’s meant resulted in the sliotar not moving into our inside forwards. Nadine Salinger did strike our second with an outstanding long-range score, after Yazmin O’Neill had transitioned from defence into attack. McLoughlin batted away a goalbound effort from a free but the third goal arrived on the 24 minute mark when their left corner forward cut inside and struck well into the net. Towers almost registered a goal when O’Neill and Emma O’Malley combined to tee up Mary Nalty whose strike across goal was flicked wide by the keeper. O’Malley struck the subsequent 45 to leave three goals the deficit at the break.
Towers started the second half the brighter but could not capitalise. O’Neill, O’Donnagáin and Salinger created openings but under pressure our strikes fell short or wide. The crucial next goal came the way of Erin’s Isle, when a long-range free was doubled into the back of the net by the full forward. Towers ladies continued to chase the game. O’Malley broke inside and kicked for goal but the effort was blocked. A goal did arrive. O’Neill, O’Malley, and Chloe Morris combined on the 40. A strike inside was controlled by Ciara Ryan who, with back to goal, handpassed overhead to beat the keeper and full back. O’Donnagáin won the subsequent puck-out and O’Malley carried. She found Ryan in inside forwards and the foul on her enabled O’Malley to point the free. But Isle’s responded when their full forward netted their fifth with a low strike. Towers almost netted their second when Ryan cut inside and flicked across goal but Is’e’s defenders flicked clear. O’Malley and substitute Holly Gregg combined to win a free but O’Neill’s low strike towards goal was deflected clear. Our final score arrived when O’Neill struck into the inside forwards and Anna Kiely seized on the break and raised the arms of the umpires. With the last play of the game Isles netted their fifth courtesy of the left corner forward who’d proven excellent throughout.
Disappointment for the Towers ladies but it has been a very good return to the playing pitches for our Senior Camógs in 2018 and the underage talent bolstered the senior ranks for the final, bringing optimism for the coming year.
Round Tower: Heather McLoughlin, Ciara Devaney, Kirsten Gaffney, Aoife Murray, Briege Devaney, Angela McNamara, Emma O’Malley, Yazmin O’Neill, Chloe Morris, Roisín O’Donnagáin, Fiona Walsh, Nadine Salinger, Ciara Ryan, Jade Hyland, Toni Whiteman, Mary Nalty, Holly Gregg, Aoife Kelly, Anna Kiely.
