Kate-Marie Hearne hits 2-7 as Butlerstown lift county title

What a year Butlerstown Camogie Club are having.

Earlier this year they won the Intermediate League and they followed that up with winning the non county player league and last Saturday they won the Intermediate Championship beating Cappoquin at the Dungarvan Club grounds.

With both sides having a number of inter county players at different levels to pick from, this game promised to be a entertaining game and the players did not fail to deliver.

Jenny McCarthy finished as top scorer for Cappoquin in this game with six points behind her name on the score sheet but it was Kate-Marie Hearne that stole the show finishing the game with 2-7 of Butlerstown’s 3-9 behind her name.

It was the Corner Stone Ladies that made all the early running in this game hitting early scores from Jenny McCarthy and Clodagh Walsh.

Both sides in the opening minutes of this game had their defences on top and it was not until the closing ten minutes of the half that Butlerstown were able to breach the Cappoquin defence.

Rosemary Power hit Butlerstown’s first score of the game which was quickly followed by a free off the stick of Kate-Marie Hearne.

Butlerstown had now found their rhythm and soon took the lead when Rosemary Power hit her second of the game.

Cappoquin struck back with a point from Jenny McCarthy to level matters with first half ticking down, but Butlerstown were to finish the half the stronger of the two sides as Kate-Marie Hearne hit her second score of the game and then followed up with a goal just before the break, as she was quickest to react to a dropping ball in around the Cappoquin goal which was not dealt with by the side in red and black.

Trailing 1-4 to 0-3 at the break, Cappoquin were first to score in the second half, Jenny McCarthy putting over a forty-five.

Kate-Marie Hearne showed her class once more by adding the next two scores for Butlerstown which gave them a five point cushion.

However, Cappoquin are a side that you write off at your pearl they hit the next four scores of the game, three of them points coming from Jenny McCarthy frees and a Lauren McGregor goal which gave them a one point advantage the game in its final quarter.

The loss of Roisin Cahillane with an injury was a major blow for Cappoquin with the game entering its final ten minutes and with her not on the field, Butlerstown in the final ten minutes proved to be the better of the two sides and finished the game much the stronger.

Kate-Marie Hearne put over a forty-five to level matters for the third time in the game and it was looking as though extra time was going to be needed to find a winner.

However, commit the hour commit the man or in this case the woman.

Kate-Marie Hearne struck her second goal of the game to give her side a three point advantage and moments later the same player extended that lead when she put over a her sixth point of the game.

Nicola Fitzgerald added a third Butlerstown goal at the end of the game and it was fitting that it was their top tallies lady Kate-Marie Hearne that rounded off the scoring when she registered her ninth score of the game.

Butlerstown now march on and will represent Waterford in the Munster Club championship but while Cappoquin will be somewhat disappointed in the final outcome in this game, they can take solace in the fact that they played their part in a fine game and were in contention right up to the closing minutes. They can also take much hope that they are moving in the right direction, something that was confirmed less than twenty four hours after this game when they beat a fancied De La Salle side to win the under 16 ‘A’ Championship at Lemybrien where four of the panel for Saturday’s game were also involved.

Butlerstown Panel: Deirdre Brennan, Emer Kearney, Clodagh Doherty, Kate Walsh, Mandy Kelly, Jean Burns, Nicola Fitzgerald, Caroline Farrelly, Vikki Falconer, Martina Cashin, Rachael Taheny, Breda Kennedy, Rosemary Power, Kate-Marie Hearne,  Michelle Burns, Niamh Kennedy, Caroline Fox,  Kate Browne, Elma Farrell, Sarah Kennedy,  Aine Breathnach, Claire Nolan, Elizabeth McGrath.

Scorers: Kate-Marie Hearne 2-7, Nicola Fitzgerald 1-0, Rosemary Power 0-2.

Cappoquin Panel: Jade Fraher, Tina Coffey, Emma Foley, Linda Foley, Aoife Cahillane, Roisin Cahillane, Carole McCarthy, Jemma Burke, Lorraine Bray, Elaine McCarthy, Jenny McCarthy, Bree Coffey, Catherine Ahearne, Clodagh Walsh, Nicole Landers, Ciara Moore, Jessica Glavin, Emily Power, Lauren McGregor and Elaine Looby

Scorers: Jenny McCarthy 0-6, Lauren McGregor 1-0, Clodagh Walsh 0-1.