Fitzgerald Goal the Difference at WIT Arena

Gailltir are back in the County Senior Camogie Final after they had a goal to spare against a good Saint Anne’s side in the first of this year’s semi finals at the WIT Arena at Carriganore on Saturday afternoon last.

All-Star nominated Niamh Rockett finished as top scorer in this game with eight points behind her name on the score sheet but it was not to be enough.

For Gailltir Shauna Fitzgerald’s goal proved to be the most crucial score of the game, but she will possibly be one of the first to admit that her effort for a score had a touch of luck to it. 

Some great work has taken place with the promoting of the game within the Barony Club and those that have worked hardest are now getting to see the rewards of their work as they are in the championship decider for the third year in a row and will be looking to make it two wins in three years which is not bad consider that prior to 2016 the club that has achieved so much down the years had gone from 2008 without winning the title.

The winners opened the scoring in this game with points from Aoife and Annie Fitzgerald. But they were soon railed in as Niamh Rockett scored before Becky Kavanagh who has played for the county in the recent past levelled matters, but it was followed with another score from the impressive Annie Fitzgerald.

In a nip and tuck start to this game Claire Murphy tied the scoring once more for Saint Anne’s with a point on seventeen minutes, and they followed this up with a brace of points off the hurl of Niamh Rockett from placed balls, giving the Mid County side the lead for the first time.

Kate Lynch pulled a point back for the eventual winners in this one, but Saint Anne’s would turn around leading by two once more as Niamh Rockett who has had a brilliant 2018 for club and county fought off the challenge of the Gailltir defence to turn around leading 0-6 to 0-4, something they fully deserved.

The influential Rockett continued to torment the reigning County League Champions in the second half but she was somewhat restricted in what she could do following an accidental collision with her club mate Claire Murphy.

She did start the second half where she left off in the first with a fine point to extend her sides lead three minutes after the restart.

The sides were pulled level after Annie Fitzgerald twice split the posts and one from Ciara O’Sullivan who had her score created by the impressive Fitzgerald.

Saint Anne’s retook the lead on forty three minutes with another point from Niamh Rockett but it was cancelled out with effort from an Annie Fitzgerald free following a foul in another of Waterford’s All-Star nominations Áine Lyng.

Saint Anne’s missed two chances before the games most crucial score arrived twelve minutes from time, when a Shauna Fitzgerald effort was misjudged by Louise Murphy and went to the Saint Anne’s net.

Both sides landed two further scores each, Áine Lyng and substitute Hannah Hutchinson pointed for the winners while despite the best efforts of Niamh Rockett who landed another brace of scores Saint Anne’s fell short of the target set for them by the Barony Ladies.

Gailltir: Ciara Jackman; Emily Mahony, Margo Heffernan, Claire Dunne; Leah Sheridan, Emma Roche, Hannah Flynn; Kate Lynch, Aine Lyng; Clodagh Carroll, Shauna Fitzgerald, Annie Fitzgerald; Emer Walsh, Aoife Fitzgerald, Ciara O’Sullivan.

Subs: Ann Corcoran for Clodagh Carroll, Hannah Hutchinson for Kate Lynch, Eilis Cullinane for Aoife Fitzgerald.

Scorers: Annie Fitzgerald 0-5 (3fs), Shauna Fitzgerald 1-0, Aoife Fitzgerald, Kate Lynch, Ciara O’Sullivan, Aine Lyng, Hannah Hutchinson 0-1 each.

St Annes: Louise Murphy; Bronwyn Grace, Laoibhse Dunbar, Ashling Keating; Sheena McGuckian, Claire Whyte, Saoirse Bonnar; Sibeal Harney, Niamh Rockett; Roisin Dunphy, Pauline Casey, Claire Murphy; Mide Delaney, Becky Kavanagh, Ciara Sheahan.

Scorers: Niamh Rockett 0-8 (4fs, 1 45), Becky Kavanagh, Claire Murphy 0-1 each.

Referee: Martin Quilty