News & Press Releases

In The Picture — 21 February 2018

Camogie Victory

The St Mary’s University College Camogie team has won the Fr Meachair All-Ireland Championship with a victory over Athlone Institute of Technology on a score line of 1-10 to 1-9.

This is how the victory was reported in The Saffron Gael on 15 February 2018.

Late Kenny goal snatches victory for St Mary’s “A goal from Louise Kenny in the fourth minute of injury time yesterday evening in Ashbourne turned this Fr Meachair Cup Higher Education camogie final on its head and handed St Mary’s Belfast their first title since 2014.

That goal put St Mary’s into the lead for the first time but came after sustained pressure from the Belfast college for most of the second half.

Down by 0-8 to 0-5 at the break, St Mary’s opened the second half scoring after just 20 seconds through Player of the Match Áine McAllister, but things looked to be going against them when Rachel Monaghan scored a 34th minute goal for Athlone.

However assisted by the breeze the Ulster girls battled away with McAllister adding points in the 39th and 42nd minutes and then two in the 49th to close the gap to 1-8 to 0-10.

However, suddenly the scoring dried up and, on the break, Rebecca Brennan fired over a much-needed 56th minute point for Athlone, who had packed their defence in an attempt to hold on.

St Mary’s kept the pressure on and deep in injury time were rewarded when Áine McAllister dropped a free into the area and Louise Kenny swept it home.

Earlier in the game, Athlone used the breeze well to go 0-7 to 0-3 up, but two late points from Deirbhle Savage closed the gap to three for the break.

Ballinascreen’s Áine McAllister stood head and shoulders above all the players on show, with good support from Deirbhle Savage, Catherine Rocks, Eimear O’Kane and captain Catherine McColgan.”

St Mary’s: S Carey, L McConville, C McColgan, S Conlon, B McCaughan, C Rocks, A McFarland, Á Maguire, Á McAllister 0-8, 0-5 frees, E O’Kane, D Savage 0-2, M McGleenan, C Wright, L Kenny 1-0, R Kelly

Subs: F Burke for Á Maguire (35), E Mone for A McFarland (63).

Athlone: C Higgins, A Donoghue, M O’Brien, C Ryan, A Caulfield, R Kelly, B McQuillan, M Jennings 0-2, G Finnerty, R Dervan, R Brennan 0-1, A Curran, N Lawless 0-6 frees, R Monaghan 1-0, D Higgins