Antrim v Galway: Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues: Division 2
Venue: Roger Casements Portglenone
Date: 19 Feb 2022, 2:30pm
Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)
FINAL SCORE: Antrim 1-12 Galway 1-8
MATCH REPORT:
By Sarah Gaughran, Galway Camogie PRO
A youthful and spirited Galway were unlucky to loose out to the 2021 All Ireland Intermediate champions, Antrim, in their opening league game. Galway, who were getting their league campaign off 2 weeks later then planned, preformed well throughout the contest. The Galway team featured 6 players from the 2021 minor panel, while Caoimhe Reidy made her debut with Laura Loughnane making her return to the team for the upcoming season.
Antrim were the quickest off the mark when Caoimhe Wright opened their scoring with a point inside the opening minute of the game. Roisin McCormick added a 45-meter free, 1 minute later. Antrim broke through the Galway defence on the 5th minute, but Fiona Ryan ensured the ball was cleared from her line. As the ball was cleared by the Galway defence, the clearance only found Meadhbh Laverty, who punished Galway’s mistake to leave it 0-3 to 0-0 after 6 minutes. Laura Loughnane opened Galway’s scoring on the 7th minute. An accurate puck out from Ryan, found the centre back Sinead Coleman, who picked out Katie Gilchrist and Gilchrist gave a great handpass to the oncoming Loughnane to set up the score. The forwards and midfield worked hard to keep the ball up the Galway end of the field and responded with another score through Jennifer Hughes 30 seconds later. Gilchrist missed two chances from placed balls for Galway in the 10th and 11th minute while Wright added another point to her tally. McCormick added another point from the placed ball on the 14th minute to leave it Antrim 0-5 Galway 0-2 coming up to the half way stage of the first half.
Siobhan McKillop and Wright added points to the Antrim tally between the 16th and 22nd minute to leave 5 between the teams. Galway got the major they needed on the 23rd minute when Gilchrist landed a long range free into the Galway square. The Antrim backs batted the ball away but Tara Ruttledge won the ball and from an impossible angle, lobbed the ball into the back of the Antrim net. Gilchrist added a long range point from play before the break to leave Antrim ahead by the minimum heading into half time.
Gilchrist had the sides level 2 minutes into the second half when she slotted over a point from a free. Chole Farragher gave Galway the lead 2 minutes later after she received a great pass from Tegan Canning. It was score for score as McCormick and McKillop and Wright added points for Antrim while Canning added a point to Galway’s tally to leave Antrim one point ahead heading into the final 15 minutes of the game. Ruttledge worked the ball well into Farragher who slotted her second point of the day over on the 47th minute to leave the teams level again. Ryan denied yet another major for Antrim on the 48th minute. McCormick (free) and Aine McGill added points for Antrim while Gilchrist added one through a place ball for Galway to leave Antrim one point ahead heading into the final 5 minutes. On the 59th minute, McCormick set off from centre forward and blasted the ball past Ryan to leave the score 1-12 to 1-8.
Galway who had a long 4 hour journey up to Antrim will be happy with their overall performance. While they were wasteful on occasions, they were a young side up against a very experienced Antrim team. Up next for the girls is the 2019 All Ireland Junior Champions Kerry next weekend in Kerry. On the day, Fiona Ryan, Sinead Coleman, Katie Gilchrist, Tegan Canning, Tara Ruttledge and Chloe Farragher all preformed well for Galway while Caitriona Graham, Chloe Drain, Lucia McNaughton, Caoimhe Wright, Meadhbh Laverty and Roisin McCormick were some of the standout preformers for the Saffron’s.
Teams
Antrim: Caitriona Graham; Chloe Drain, Niamh Donnelly, Laoise McKenna; Colleen Patterson, Caoimhe Conlon, Amy Boyle; Lucia McNaughton, Nicole O’Neill; Siobhan McKillop, Roisin McCormick, Aine Magill; Caoimhe Wright, Meadhbh Laverty, Ciara Laverty
Subs: Maria Lynn for C Laverty (HT)
Scorers: R McCormick 1-4 (3f’s 1’45); C Wright 0-3; S McKillop 0-3; A Magill 0-1; M Laverty 0-1
Galway: Fiona Ryan; Caoimhe Starr, Sarah Lyons, Tara Lawrence; Katie Anna Porter, Sinead Coleman, Katie Manning; Caoimhe Reidy, Jennifer Hughes; Tegan Canning, Katie Gilchrist, Laura Loughnane; Ciara Reidy, Tara Rutledge, Chloe Farragher
Subs: Grainne O’Neill for C Reidy (43); Aisling Donnellan for T Lawerence (50); Elaine Dolphin for J Hughes (54)
Scorers: T Rutledge 1-00; C Farragher 0-2; K Gilchrist 0-2 (1f); T Canning 0-1; L Loughnane 0-1; J Hughes 0-1
PANEL: Intermediate panel profiles
MANAGEMENT: Intermediate team management
FIXTURES: View all National League Division 2 fixtures
