Kiladangan run out of time as Boru’s hold on

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Championship Final

Brian Borus 3-6

Kiladangan 2-8

Report: Joe Scully at the Camogie Grounds

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Aisling Ryan (Brian Borus)

SCORERS – Brian Borus: Shona Lang 2-0; Aisling Ryan 1-1; Mary Barrett 0-3 frees; Alanna English, Rebecca Burke 0-1 each.

Kiladangan: Sinead Meagher 0-7 (6 frees); Sadbh Fogarty, Niamh Kelly 1-0 each; Isabelle Kingston 0-1.

Despite not scoring in the second-half, Brian Borus were crowned Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Camogie Championship winners after holding off a spirited comeback by a gallant Kiladangan side in Saturday’s final.

Try as they did, Kiladangan just came up short at the end of a highly entertaining hour of camogie. The game might not have been a classic, and while there was the odd mistake littered throughout, the heart and commitment from both teams was not in question. The skill levels at times were also of the highest quality, with some of the hooking and blocking excellent as both sides both bodies on the line in the pursuit of glory.

The game really came to life in the final five minutes of the first half, which saw four goals and a penalty save, the period which was the deciding of the game, as Boru’s opened a six-point lead.

Despite being on top for most of the period and defending immensely well, the North side will look back at moments with regret as they had chances late on to level proceedings, but their finishing let them down, as Boru’s managed to hold on despite being put under severe pressure, much to the delight of their support who were outnumbered by the Kiladangan supporters in the large crowd.

Boru’s Aisling Ryan opened the scoring after just 51 seconds after Kiladangan failed to clear and Ryan punished them with a fine point. Two minutes later, and the same player had the ball in the back of the net, after fine build-up play by Shona Lang.

Sinead Meagher, the former Tipp Junior All-Ireland winner, opened the scoring for Kiladangan in the seventh minute with a 45, but less than a minute later Alanna English pointed for Borus.

It would be another seven minutes for the next score, and it was Boru’s joint captain Mary Barrett this time from a dead-ball, before Meagher again pointed with a fine finish from distance.

Barrett had the gap back at five a minute later with a free from 65 metres, and Rebecca Burke extended the lead even further in the 19th minute with a fine finish from a tight angle.

The game would go another six minutes without a score, and it was at this stage when it really came to life, all starting when an effort from out by the sideline by Sadbh Fogarty dropped in over the head of the Borus keeper Rachel Doyle and into the back of the net.

A minute later and Kiladangan had the ball in the back of the Borus net once again, this time from Niamh Kelly who after a bit of a scramble found herself in possession and ran goalwards before batting to the net.

Not long after and Isabelle Kingston had Kiladangan ahead, when she won a long ball in turned her marker and finished.

In the 25th minute, Boru’s were awarded a penalty, when following an Alanna English saved shot in the ensuing scramble she was fouled, and Rebecca Burke stepped to take the penalty but it was well saved by Aoife Gleeson in the Kiladangan goal, however, Shona Lang was on hand to knock in the rebound.

Mary Barrett added a point from a free, before in the second minute of added time, Lang had the ball in the back of the net again, after a pass from Aisling Ryan, for what would be her sides last score of the game, as they went in at the break ahead 3-6 to 2-3.

The second half would turn out to be a battle as both teams laid it all out on the line in search of glory, and would see only five scores, all frees from the stick of Kiladangan’s Sinead Meagher, as they slowly reeled in Boru’s.

Meagher hit her first score in the third minute and added her second two minutes later. Although it would be the 44th minute before she added her third, three minutes later the gap was back at two. She added her fifth in the 50th minute to leave just a single point in it, but as much as they pushed for a leveller, they just could not find it, and would come up agonisingly short, as Brian Boru’s held on to win the championship in dramatic fashion.

TEAMS – Brian Borus: Rachel Doyle (6); Ellie O’Connor (7), Caitlin O’Connor (7), Rosaleen O’Gorman (7); Shauna Maher (7), Alison O’Mahony (6), Helen Burke (7); Helena Walsh (6), Anna French (7); Mary Barrett (7), Caoimhe Ryan (6), Aisling Ryan (8), Shona Lang (8), Alanna English (7), Rebecca Burke (6).

Subs: Sarah English (6) for C Ryan (42); Ciara Hickey (NR) for A Ryan (60+2).

Kiladangan: Aoife Gleeson (6); Nicola McGrath (6), Eadaoin Hackett (7), Meadbh Ryan (7); Roisin Connolly (6), Aoibheann Ryan (6), Eimear Meaghar (7); Theresa Collins (6), Laoise Ryan (7); Emma Gavin (6), Sinead Meagher (8), Sadbh Fogarty (7); Isabelle Kingston (7), Caoimhe Noonan (6), Niamh Kelly (7).

Subs: Eire Ryan (6) for McGrath (HT); Jane Minehan (6) for Hackett (45); Jane Seymour (6) for Fogarty (47); Maria Minehan (6) for L Ryan (54).

Referee: John Dooley (Thurles Gaels).