Intermediate League Final Ends Prematurely Following Serious Injury

Saint Anne’s and Cappoquin will have to do it all over again after their County Intermediate Camogie League Final was abandoned ten minutes into the second half at the Ballinameela Community Field on Saturday evening.

The mid county side had just gone into a five point lead and were beginning to look the better of the two sides when Saint Anne’s wing forward Róisín Kirwan one of two players on the Saint Anne’s side went down with a serious injury shortly after the same player had put over the score of the game from under the stand about 60 metres out from the Cappoquin goal.

Those with medical knowledge quickly made their way to the Saint Anne’s player and an ambulance was summoned to the ground, but when it had not arrived thirty minutes after she had gone down referee Stephen McCarthy was left with no option but to bring proceeding to a premature end after the majority of players on both sides had left the field to go to the dressing rooms in a bid to keep warm should the game have restarted having pucked a sliotar around amongst themselves for some time before leaving the field.

Full marks must go to all who came to the assistance of the Saint Anne’s player on the night, showing the great respect there is between players and clubs when something serious happens even if they are great rivals.

A number of people were seen to go to their cars for blankets and coats as the evening began to get cold in a bid to keep the injured players as warm and comfortable as possible until such time that an ambulance was able to arrive.

The injury maybe shows the need for every sporting venue in every sport should have a fully operational stretcher for when an injury does happen.

No fault could be made of those from the host club who had their facilities in pristine condition for the double header on Saturday evening, but maybe had a stretcher being available with the assistance of those most qualified to do so, the injured player could have been lifted to the dressing rooms or some other room within the centre within the grounds and kept warmer than she would have been lying on the ground which would have been cold even though we had some very warm days in the lead up to this final.

There was uncertainty around the start of this final which was delayed some minutes as mentors debated as to whether the game should be 13 or 15 a side.

In recent years the finals are played at 15 a side and 15 a side this game started.

Scores in the opening half were hard won, but when they did come they often came like London Buses with two or three coming in quick succession.

At Half time in this game it was the Mid County side that were four points in front as both sides opted to stay out on the field at the break on opposite sides of the field.

For Saint Anne’s inter county player Niamh Rockett was having a huge game for her side up to the time it was prematurely called off.

She was causing the Cappoquin defence all sorts of problems and were often left to decide if they would let her run at them and pop the sliotar over the crossbar which former inter county goalkeeper Tracey Kiely was standing under or to foul her and leave her to pop the ball high over the head from a placed ball.

At the other end of the field Aisling Power was also impressive for Cappoquin while another of their inter county players Lorraine Bray was impressing in the middle of the field and was playing a lot of ball.

The first score of this game came on six minutes and went in the way of Saint Anne’s thanks to a fine effort from Róisín Kirwan (8).

Cappoquin hit back with an effort from Aisling Power, one of the smallest players on the field on the night, but does not let the physic that she lacks compares to others stop her, as we have seen over the last number of years playing for club and county.

Niamh Rockett and Elaine McCarthy swapped scores within a minute of each other just before the end of the opening quarter mark of this game, to keep the sides locked together in what was proving to be a tight contest.

Ten minutes elapsed before the next score was hit by either side and as was the case up to this stage, when one came another quickly followed. Niamh Rockett edged Saint Anne’s in front on twenty five minutes but her effort was quickly cancelled out in the next attack thanks to an effort from Aisling Power.

Saint Anne’s however would hit a purple patch before the break and they hit the next four scores to open up a lead which they were full for.

Niamh Rockett put over a brace of scores before Rachel McDonald pointed on twenty nine minutes. Niamh Rockett pointed again in the first minute of added time from a placed ball which gave her side a 0-7 to 0-3 lead.

There was still time to be played at the end of the thirty and in it both sides added one further score each.

Lorraine Bray was first to score with a delightful effort and with the last attack of the half Aleisha McDonald struck the last score of an entertaining first half of Camogie.

Inter county players Niamh Rockett and Aisling Power swapped early second half scores to keep the mid county side four in front.

Aisling Power pointed again from a free for the Cornerstone Ladies on thirty six minutes to leave three between the sides.

If the Cornerstone ladies could hit the next score they would be right in contention to win this game, but it was the mid county side that played struck not once but twice.

Niamh Rockett hit her seventh of the game and fifth from a placed ball on thirty eight minutes, and moments later Rachel Kirwan (11) would hit the score of the game from sixty metres out to give her side a five point lead.

Sadly however for Kirwan and for those present just seconds later as Kirwan ran to a loose ball she fell to the ground with a serious injury. Referee Stephen McCarthy rightly stopped the game so that medical attention could be rendered to the injured player. An Ambulance was sent for after the extent of her injury was deterred and when it had not arrived thirty minutes later the game was rightly abandoned.  

Saint Anne’s: Megan Foran; Aisling Allen, Labhaoise Dunbar, Claire Whyte; Saoirse Bonner, Pauline Cunningham, Bronwyn Grace; Róisín Kirwan, Clare Murphy; Róisín Kirwan, Niamh Rockett, Rachel McDonald; Mairead Murphy, Becky Kavanagh, Aleisha McDonald.

Scorers: Aisling Power 0-4 (2f), Lorraine Bray, Elaine McCarthy 0-1 each.

Cappoquin: Tracey Kiely; Ally Landers, Róisín Cahillane, Tina Coffey; Carole McCarthy, Jenny McCarthy, Charlotte Connors; Lorraine Bray, Róisín Uniacke; Jess Glavin, Jemma Burke, Elaine McCarthy; Nicole Landers, Laura Greene, Aisling Power.

Scorers: Niamh Rockett 0-7 (5F), Roisin Kirwan, Rachel McDonald, Aleisha McDonald, Róisín Kirwan 0-1 each.

Referee: Stephen McCarthy.