No joy for Saint Augustine’s College in All-Ireland Camogie Final

Despite other attractions happening on the day and a bitter wind, a big crowd showed up at the WIT Sports Campus in Carriganore on Sunday afternoon for this years All-Ireland Senior ‘D’ Colleges Camogie Final between Saint Augustine’s College from Abbeyside and Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School from Rosbercon outside New Ross.

Both stands at the Carriganore venue were almost full with a small number standing in the area between the stands and against the fence around the field ahead of this game and they did not have to wait very long before the first score of the game.

There can be no disputing that on the day the better team over the hour took the winners trophy away with them, but it must be said that the West Waterford college side did have their chances on the day to take the spoils.

St Augustine’s did have chances on the day but many of them were to fall just short of their intended target or went just wide of the posts.

Despite playing second best in the final quarter of the game the Saint Augustine’s girls never gave up and were unlucky not to have hit a second goal late in the game as Elizabeth Phelan did well to keep an effort from Kaiesha Tobin out with three minutes remaining in normal time, but had the Dungarvan club players effort had hit the net, you cant but feel that it would have proven to be a mere consolation score.

The game was just thirty five seconds old when the umpires at the Butlerstown end of the ground were reaching for a green flag.

Referee Gerry McGough award the Leinster champions a free in the middle of the field which Darcy Bolger hit but it was blocked from going between the posts by Shauna McGrath but she was powerless to keep the rebound from the impressive Oonagh Doyle from hitting the net from close range.

An interesting statistic from this game was that Saint Augustine’s hit 1-2, all of which came from placed balls of the stick of Molly Curran who was part of Waterford’s All-Ireland Intermediate Championship winning panel last year and all three scores came from within centimetres of the ’45 metre line.

The first of her scores came on eight minutes when a free on the ’45 metre line which looked to be sailing over the crossbar at the dressing rooms end of the ground dipped and caught Elizabeth Phelan off guard and fell into her net to level matters for the first of four times.

Two minutes later the same player from just behind the ’45 metre line split the posts with a free, but the sides were level by the end of the first quarter as Oonagh Doyle hit her second score of the afternoon.

Molly Curran again edged Waterford back in front on eighteen minutes when she put over a ’45 but the sides would go to the dressing rooms locked at 1-2 each after Oonagh Doyle put over a free on twenty two minutes.

The Friary as they are often referred to came out for the second half all guns blazing. Molly Curran saw an attempt from a free blocked by Elizabeth Phelan between the posts and from the rebound Aoife O’Neill shot just wide.

Kaiesha Tobin had Waterford in front four minutes into the second half when she registered her sides only score from play, a score that was also to prove to be their last of the game.

On thirty five minutes it looked as if the eventual winners were going to rattle the net for the second time through Alison Foskin but a quite brilliant hook by Megan Dunford kept them at bay.

Waterford won a free on thirty seven minutes but Kaiesha Tobin’s effort fell just short and two minutes later the sides were level for the fourth time when Oonagh Doyle again split the posts from play.

At the end of the third quarter Oonagh Doyle taking a ’45 from the stand side of the field saw her effort to give her side the lead deflected for a ’45 on the other side of the field and at the second time of asking she made no mistake.

The same player followed up with efforts on fifty and fifty one minutes before the Rosbercon side ensure the title would be theirs with six minutes remaining as Annie Kirwan tapped in from close range to give her side a double score 2-6 to 1-3 advantage.

Elizabeth Phelan did well to keep an effort out from Kaiesha Tobin on fifty seven minutes as she attempted to make it a three point game.

Oonagh Doyle made life a little more comfortable for the winners on the hour mark with her eight score of the game, the last of the game but Saint Augustine’s did have another chance in added time as a Molly Curran effort from a free was put out for a ’45 which failed to result in a score.

For Saint Augustine’s College on the day they were best served by Megan Dunford at centre back while Molly Curran and Kaiesha Tobin at Centre and Full Forward also impressed while for the winners apart from the excellent Oonagh Doyle, Aimee Hanrahan in the middle of the field impressed.

St. Augustine’s College: Shauna McGrath; Sibeal Duggan, Sarah Morrissey, Kirsten O’Connor; Rachel Donnelly, Megan Dunford, Megan Phelan; Dáiríni Ní Sheanlaoich, Caroline Dwyer; Catherine Hahessy, Molly Curran, Aisling O’Connor; Siobhan Morrissey, Kaiesha Tobin, Aoife O’Neill. Sub: Roise Ni Mhuirí for Aoife O’Neill (43 Mins). Rest of panel: Meadhbh Ni Chuirín, Sinead Morrissey, Saidbh Walsh, Eithine Nic Mhirchú, Áine O’Neill, Kailyn O’Donnell, Clara Curran, Tara Fraher, Caoimhe Kiely, Aoibhin Connaughton, Luice Denzinger, Mary Kiely.

Scorers: Molly Curran 1-2 (1-1f, 0-1 ’45), Kaeisha Tobin 0-1.

Our Lady of Lourdes: Elizabeth Phelan; Niamh Higgins, Rachel Buckley, Laura Hackett; Aisling Cullen, Mairead O’Shea, Darcy Bolger; Sarah O’Sullivan, Aimee Hanrahan; Oonagh Doyle, Alison Foskin, Hannah Moran; Sinead Lanigan, Annie Kirwan, Eimear O’Shea. Subs: Chloe Mullally for Niamh Higgins (47 mins), Rhys Hogan for Eimear O’Shea (49 mins). Rest of Panel: Lauren Dollard, Michelle Kinsella, Jennifer Dollard, Amy Hogan, Oonagh Murphy, Eimear Lyons, Siobhan Cummins, Clodagh Knox, Fiona O’Shea, Ciara Corish.

Scorers: Oonagh Doyle 1-7 (1f, 1 ’45), Annie Kirwan 1-0.  

Referee: Gerry McGough (Dublin)