Moycarkey stay on course for County treble

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance County Intermediate Championship Semi–Final

Moycarkey/Borris 1-17

Boherlahan-Dualla 1-13

Moycarkey/Borris remain on course for three county titles in a row, in different grades, after overcoming neighbours Boherlahan-Dualla with a strong finish in an entertaining first semi-final of the County Intermediate Camogie Championship at the County Camogie Grounds on Saturday.

Back to back county Junior ‘B’ and Junior ‘A’ champions, Moycarkey had the opening three points from Lucy Callanan, Sarah Corcoran, and Kate Ralph to give them an early lead.

Clodagh Horgan settled Boherlahan with a point before the speedy Doireann Ryan goaled to put them into the lead. The ‘Sash’ enjoyed a good spell with points from the industrious Ellie Ryan and an Emma Horgan free to make it 1-3 to 0-3 after nine minutes of camogie where the action was at both ends of the field.

Paula Quirke had the task of marking her Tipp minor teammate Sarah Corcoran and she kept the minor player of the year relatively quiet from play in the opening half. There was no stopping her brilliance from frees however and the Moycarkey star hit four in the half to the Moycarkey’s followers delight.

At the opposite side, Emma Horgan also was accurate from frees and at half time the scoreline read 1-8 to 0-10 in Boherlahan-Dualla’s favour.

Sarah Delaney was very effective in defence for Boherlahan reading the game brilliantly while further up the field Danielle Ryan, Clodagh Horgan and Anna Murphy led the attack.

For Moycarkey/Borris, Kate Ralph and Joan O’Keefe were excellent in midfield with Caitlin Shelly and Amy Callanan strong in defence.

The second half began with a Boherlahan point from play from Anna Murphy before Moycarkey found another gear and began to get on top. Two frees from Sarah Corcoran was followed by a Ciara Shelly goal after a goal-mouth scramble to put Moycarkey ahead 1-12 to 1-9.

Both sides exchanged points with Sarah Corcoran’s 50th minute strike from play putting her side four points ahead.

The game looked to be going away from Boherlahan, but they rallied brilliantly and threw everything at Ray Ralph’s side. Successive points from Clodagh Horgan, Emma Horgan and Doireann Ryan from the 51st to the 56th minute made it a one point game (1-14 to 1-13) as we approached the final minutes of normal time.

But the cream always comes to the top and Sarah Corcoran hit two wonderful points from way out on the wing, followed by an injury time free to break Boherlahan-Dualla hearts and keep the possibility of three promotions in three years alive for Moycarkey/Borris.

Player of the Match: Amy Callanan (Moycarkey/Borris)

Moycarkey/Borris: Molly O’Dwyer (7); Emily Carroll (6), Caitlin Shelly (8), Kate O’Keefe (7); Amy McGovern (7), Maria Kinane (7), Amy Callanan (9); Kate Ralph (0-2, 8), Joan O’Keefe (8); Sarah Corcoran (0-11, 7f, 8), Lucy Callanan (7), Eva Ralph (7); Catriona Walsh (0-1, 6), Ciara Shelly (1-1, 7), Emma O’Sullivan (0-1, 7).

Boherlahan-Dualla: Marguerite Fryday (7); Leah Maher (7), Aoife Linehan (7), Sarah McLoughlin (7); Paula Quirke (7), Sarah Delaney (9), Leah Baskin (7); Ellie Ryan (0-2, 8), Maria Murphy (7); Danielle Ryan (7), Clodagh Horgan (0-2, 7), Anna Murphy (0-2, 7); Emma Horgan (0-5f, 7), Aoife Kennedy (0-1, 6), Doireann Ryan (1-1, 7).

Referee: Joe Kearney (Clonoulty/Rossmore).