Lismore claim third County League title in four years

There can be no disputing that the final of the Waterford Senior Camogie League for the Denny Buckley Cup which this year was sponsored by the Premium Butchers gets the best out of the competing sides.

The first two finals of the four year history of the competition were won by Lismore who beat Saint Anne’s in both finals. The 2014 final saw the rolls reversed as Saint Anne’s beat Lismore, this time at Lemybrien.

In all three finals, little if anything separated the sides.

This years final was played on Saturday evening last. Pairc Eamon De Paor in Tallow was the setting for the final with near neighbours Cappoquin competing in their first final and Lismore who were involved in their fourth final making the relatively short journey to the venue by the Bride River.

Both sides in recent years have enjoyed a great deal of success.

Much of what Cappoquin achieved has come at underage level and in particular in the Minor grade, and last year the Cornerstone Club also won the Intermediate Championship County Final, beating a fancied An Rinn side in the final at Fraher Field.

Lismore too have enjoyed considerable success. While the Heritage Town side have enjoyed success at underage level’s in the years to come, it is for what they have achieved at Adult Level will be remembered. In the last five years, Four County Senior Championship has been won. So too have Four Munster Intermediate Club Championships and one All-Ireland Intermediate Club Final, as well as finishing runners up in another All-Ireland Final. And now the club can lay claim to winning three County Senior League titles in four years on their Roll of Honour.

Both sides went into the final without the services of established players, but it was still 15 against 15 and those that came in did their chances of staking a more regular place in the starting team no harm.

Those that did travel to Tallow expecting another close and exciting game they were not to be disappointed.

The sizeable attendance was served up a game by the two sides where the final outcome was in doubt right to the end.

The game one of two halves, but in the end experience was to play a major roll in the final outcome as Lismore tagged on two late points to ensure that the trophy was doing to find a home in Lismore for the next twelve months.

It was Cappoquin that were first to score in this game through Aisling Power who captained Waterford to win the All-Ireland under 16 ‘B’ Final in 2014 against Derry.

However, Lismore wasted no time in taking control of the game and turned around at the break with a 1-8 to 0-3 advantage.

Nicola Morrissey levelled proceedings on four minutes. Laura Buckley then gave Lismore a lead that they never gave up. Her score was followed with efforts from Aoife Hannon and a second strike from Nicola Morrissey.

The game’s only goal came on the quarter of an hour mark and it was no surprise that it was the Lismore goal scoring machine Catriona McGlone that supplied the finish to the Cappoquin net, after she was set up by Emma Power, one of a number of new faces in the Lismore set up this year, having come off successful underage teams in recent years.

Inter County player Lorraine Bray pulled a point back for Cappoquin on nineteen minutes. Aoife Hannon followed up with a brace of scores for Lismore which gave the Heritage Town side a 1-6 to 0-2 advantage on the score board.

Carole McCarthy from a free again pulled a point back for Cappoquin, but Lismore would end the half as strong as they were throughout the opening thirty minutes as Catriona McGlone and Aoife Hannon landed points inside the final five minutes of the half to give Lismore an eight point advantage at the break.

Cappoquin came out for the second half a much different side.

Two Aisling Power points in a three minute spell inside the opening six minutes of the half cut Lismore’s lead to a more manageable figure.

Cappoquin were holding their neighbours from up river scoreless which gave their backs plenty of confidence.

At the other end of the field, keeping Lismore scoreless was also encouraging the attacking players, and when chances came their way they hit another four points in a row, Aisling Power and Carole McCarthy both hitting two each to leave two between the sides with time ticking down.

If Cappoquin could now hit the next score and if it proved to be a crucial goal, then a grandstand finish would be in store.

However it was not to be. Cappoquin failed to score in the time that remained and in the final five minutes as they called on the experience picked up in the last five or six years, it came to the core.

Ruth Geoghegan put Lismore three in front, a dangerous lead for any side to hold at times, as one attack up field could have resulted in the lead being wiped out with one strike, but there would be no such worries for Lismore as an Aoife Hannon point in the closing minutes ensured that the Denny Buckley Cup would be returning to Lismore after a year away.

Lismore Panel: Tanya Morrissey, Shauna Prendergast, Ellen Curran, Sarah Fenton, Grainne Kenneally, Sharon Williams, Nicola Morrissey, Shona Curran, Aoife Hannon, Johanna Houlihan, Laura Buckley, Emma Power, Catriona McGlone, Ruth Geoghegan, Marie Russell, Emily Heneghan, Emily Prendergast, Jennifer Kingston, Alice Russell, Karen Kelleher, Sarah Nugent/Shanahan, Aoife Houlihan, Sarah Coughlan, Sarah Geoghegan

Scorers: Aoife Hannon 0-5, Catriona McGlone 1-1, Nicola Morrissey 0-2, Laura Buckley, Ruth Geoghegan 0-1.

Cappoquin Panel; Tracey Kiely, Aisling Power, Laura Murray, Aoife Cahillane, Bree Coffey, Tina Coffey, Carole McCarthy, Catherine Ahearne, Clodagh Glavin, Elaine McCarthy, Niamh Foley, Ellen Meaney, Emma Foley, Jade Fraher, Linda Foley, Lorraine Bray, Niamh Moore, Coley Landers, Roisin Cahillane, Roisin Uniacke, Sinead O'Brien.

Scorers: Aisling Power 0-5, Carole McCarthy 0-3, Lorraine Bray 0-1.

Referee: John Kirby