Antrim 3-10 Clare 1-11
JOYOUS Antrim celebrated long into the night after this victory in the Very All Ireland Division 1B final at Abbotstown secured promotion to Division 1A next season.
There were signs in this match of much more to come from this young Antrim side who now turn their sights to an Ulster campaign in a few weeks time.
Windy conditions with just a light sprinkling of rain failed to dampen the intensity of the 1B final. Clare chose to play with the wind in the first half, but Antrim took charge from the whistle and the effective understanding between Caitrin Dobbin and Katie Molloy had Clare on the ropes in the first quarter of the game as two goals wreaked havoc before Clare’s Ellen Casey restored some order with a goal on the 18th minute.
Dobbin ran her marker into the ground for her first goal as Clare’s Michelle Powell dropped her stick and let Dobbin through, staring down the eyes of keeper Rachael Daly and placing the sliotar far right of Daly’s reach.
Katie Molloy’s goal came from a Dobbin pass and looked too easy but that was simply a reflection on the quality of play from these two full forwards.
Dobbin was in superlative form and hit her second of the game, and a third for Antrim, from a dropped in ball from player of the match, Nicole McAtamney, rolling out after a spill from the goalkeeper that would give Antrim a slender two-point lead at the break, Antrim 3-03 to Clare’s 1-07, but a distinct advantage from the elements in the second half.
Clare had their chances as a nimble footed Ziyan Spillane wrong footed her marker but eventually drilled the sliotar wide and a rasping shot from Ellen Casey was bravely diverted over the bar for a point by Antrim’s alert goalkeeper Caitriona Graham.
Referee Patrick Murphy had little to do in the way of book-keeping in the first half, with only six fouls but that was about to change as the second half increased in intensity and physicality.
Antrim’s Cassie McArthur stirred the scoreboard into action with her point in the first four minutes, but Clare then entered a period of domination for upwards of 10 minutes as they dropped three points over the bar before Roisin McCormick brought that to a halt with a fine point on the 15th minute.
Clare were frustrated once again by the adept goalkeeping skills of Graham and could only point three minutes later as Áine O’Loughlin found substitute Aisling Cooney.
That’s when Antrim pulled the shutters down on Clare and for the remaining seven minutes plus four added on, clipped five points over Clare’s bar, one of those coming from Antrim’s Eavanne Martin as she picked up a ball from Cassie McArthur. McArthur was justly rewarded for her unselfish play with her own fine point being the last of the day final and stopping the scoreboard at Antrim 3-10 Clare 1-11.
Antrim: Caitrin Graham, Clare McKillop, Katie Lynn, Caoimhe McNaughton, Erin Coulter, Sarah O’Neill, Shannagh Heggarty, Amy Boyle, Nicole McAtamney, Maeve Kelly, Roisin McCormick 0-03 (2f), Dervla Cosgrove 0-01, Cassie McArthur 0-03, Katie Molloy 1-01, Caitrin Dobbin 2-01. Eavanne Martin 0-01
Clare: Rachael Daly, Susan Daly, Michelle Powell, Cliodhna Queally, Lynda Daly, Abby Walsh, Clare Hehir, Niamh Mulqueen, Grace Carmody 0-01, Aoife Anderson, Caoimhe Carmody 0-01, Áine O’Loughlin 0-01, Caoimhe Cahill 0-01, Ellen Casey, 1-00 Ziyan Spillane 0-05f. Jennifer Daly 0-01, Aisling Cooney 0-01
Referee: Patrick Murphy
Match report and photos from Antrim Camogie PRO Michael Corcoran
Antrim’s Nicole McAtamney was named Player of the Match
Bringing the trophy home
Clare line-up
