Rovers denied by late Moycarkey goal

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance County Minor ‘B’ Championship Final 2021

Moycarkey/Borris 2-7

Shannon Rovers 0-12

Report: Liam Hogan in Borrisoleigh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Emma O’Sullivan (Moycarkey/Borris)

SCORERS – Moycarkey/Borris: Michelle Flanagan 2-0; Alisha Kearney, Caitlin Shelly 0-2 each; Kate Ralph, Sarah Corcoran (45), Emma O’Sullivan (free) 0-1 each.

Shannon Rovers: Laura Leenane 0-9 (6 frees); Emma Darcy 0-2; Celine Guinan 0-1 free.

A Michelle Flanagan goal in the 56th minute, helped Moycarkey/Borris become County Minor ‘B’ Camogie champions when narrowly defeating Shannon Rovers in a very stop-start and rugged final played on Saturday.

The new champions were the better-balanced side it must be said when making hard work of the win and they could only blame themselves had they lost because of the amount of frees they drove wide, especially in the second half.

Moycarkey scored 2-6 from play which was in stark contrast to what Rovers yielded with Laura Leenane helping herself to six point frees out of an overall personal total of 0-9, in a great individual performance.

But it was the better balanced Moycarkey/Borris who won the day. They had the better strikers all round and by Emma O’Sullivan (her first game in action after a lengthy injury) the Mid Tipp registered their first score through wing forward Alisha Kearney after eighteen seconds.

With the lead the Mid team were the better side in terms of possession but failed to transfer it into scores until Ciara Shelly doubled their lead in the seventh minute.

Struggling to get a grip on the game it took Rovers until the eleventh minute before Emma Darcy opened their account. The score signalled the commencement of a three-point run with Laura Leenane levelling matters before giving Rovers the lead with a close in free after thirteen minutes.

However, Moycarkey were back level by the sixteenth minute through a well-taken score by the excellent Kate Ralph who up to then was the dominant figure at midfield.

Ralph had good assistance from Alisha Kearney and Sarah Corcoran and their dominance continued until Rovers moved Laura Leenane and Celine Guinan out to the middle third after the water-break. The move brought Rovers more into the game, but it wasn’t enough to deny Moycarkey take the lead when Sarah Corcoran pointed a 45.

Corcoran missed the opportunity to nudge Moycarkey in front as her effort from a free drifted wide. Shooting from placed balls was a problem for the Mid side and Laura Leeanne had a problem on that front also but she made amends with her latest in the 22nd minute to level at 0-4 each. Three minutes later Celine Guinan edged Rovers in front with a free from sixty metres.

Referee David Kennedy was very strict on the handpass and he pulled both sides for the indiscretion with the Rovers taking advantage through another Laura Leenane free which allowed Rovers a two-point advantage 0-6 to 0-4 as the teams exited for the half time break.

As in the opening seconds of the game, Moycarkey wasted no time to get back in the frame as they had the umpires in action after only eighteen seconds when Alisha Kearney pointed but three minutes later Laura Leenane had Rovers two in front with another free. One minute later Moycarkey regained the lead when Michelle Flanagan’s ground shot from outside the small square hit the Rovers net after the Reds failed to cope with a lengthy free by Emma O’Sullivan which dropped in the small square.

From there the game went eight minutes without a score before Laura Leenane pointed a free before Moycarkey’s most influent player Emma O’Sullivan gave the mid side the lead with a free in the 46th minute which coincided with the final water-break of the season.

Approaching the 51st minute another Leenane free had scores level for the fifth time and one minute later Emma Darcy gave the Reds the lead which was quickly followed another Leenane free. Rovers looked to be on the move again, but their joy was short lived as Moycarkey’s next visit to the Rovers end of the field finished with profit when the task in clearing danger was not met by Rovers and Michelle Flanagan took advantage with her second goal following another ground shot effort.

Ciara Shelly strengthened the Moycarkey lead but Rovers refused to give up as Laura Leenane struck her ninth point (free) to leave the minimum between the teams but with the game in added time, it was too little too late.

Moycarkey/Borris can thank Emma O’Sullivan, Sarah Corcoran, Joan O’Keefe, Kate Ralph, Ciara Shelly, Alisha Kearney, and Ciara Shelly for their win.

Shannon Rovers will be disappointed with their performance. Laura Leenane was their best player by a mile. She covered every inch of ground and the decision to take her away from her customary full forward position curtailed Rovers scoring ability. Emma Darcy, Celine Guinan and Anna Harding never gave up while Eimear Fogarty, Aine Leenane and Meabh Cahalan caught the eye in defence.

TEAMS – Moycarkey/Borris: Molly O’Dwyer; Grainne Stapleton, Rebecca Hogan, Ellen Maher; Amy Callanan, Joan O’Keefe, Caitlin Shelly; Kate Ralph, Sarah Corcoran; Emma O’Sullivan, Queva O’Meara, Lucy Callanan; Enya Maher, Rachel Ralph, Michelle Flanagan.

Shannon Rovers: Megan Dunne; Niamh Slevin, Áine Leenane, Meabh Cahalan; Kellie Watson, Eimear Fogarty, Frances Bulger; Ella Walsh, Rachel Hannigan; Niamh Franks, Celine Guinan, Emma Darcy; Nicola Kelly, Laura Leenane, Anna Harding.

Referee: David Kennedy (Silvermines).