Cora grabs winner
Accurate Doyle ends Horeswood bid
A TENSE and exciting contest between Glynn-Barntown and Horeswood in the Junior ‘A’ camogie league final at the Halo Tiles Centre of Excellence was won by a Cora Doyle free in additional time.
The Glynn-Barntown sharpshooter already had 1-7 of her club’s tally before she converted the winning dead-ball in injury-time after a massive battle between two evenly-matched outfits.
It was a tough loss for a gallant Horeswood to take, but they will be a very lively contender for the championship on this form, especially when they add their injured county Intermediate player Emer Hunt back into the mix.
Realistically either of these two could have won the game. They matched up well with both defending strongly while also being able to create enough chances to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Undoubtedly the key player on the field was Doyle. Apart from her quality striking from placed balls, she also delivered a critical goal in the first-half for the Killurin-based side, just when they needed a boost after a slow start.
Horeswood had begun well, with Kate Foley and Amy Ennis helping them into a 0-3 to nil lead before Glynn-Barntown opened their account with Doyle’s first free.
However, the New Ross District club were still in a great position when Kate Foley and Elena Kenny registered to make it 0-5 to 0-1.
Glynn-Barntown started to edge their way back into the contest when Cora Doyle pulled home after Emma Sweeney’s searching ball.
Doyle flipped a one-point deficit into a lead with back-to-back deadballs ,but Horeswood did garner the last score of the period from Kate Foley to make it 0-6 to 1-3 at the interval.
Despite Kenny getting the first score after the break, Glynn-Barntown took the lead back with a brace from Doyle and another by Eimear Jackman.
It became nip-and-tuck after that, with Kenny and Foley sandwiching another Glynn-Barntown dead-ball to make it 1-7 to 0-9.
Emma Walsh and Doyle upped the lead to three but, just as the third quarter came to an end, Sarah Walsh set up Sinéad Ryan for Horeswood’s goal to tie the game (1-9 each).
Emma Sweeney and Walsh exchanged points to set up a dramatic finale in which Doyle got the winner for Glynn-Barntown to steer them to the league title.
Glynn-Barntown: Jane Duggan; Rachel Goff, Orlaith Flynn, Eva Arthur;
Andrea Carley, Sophie O’Leary, Josie Mullen; Emma Goff, Emma O’Leary; Ellie Stafford, Emma Walsh (0-1), Emma Sweeney (0-1); Eimear Jackman (0-1), Imogen Deas, Cora Doyle (1-8, 0-7 frees). Subs. - Lauryn Murphy for Mullen, Izzy Wilde for Deas, Sophia Connolly for Sweeney, also Emma Kiely, Sinéad Barron, Anita Dennehy, Áine Connolly, Rachel Murphy, Eva Crean, Jane Murphy, Rachel Whelan.
Horeswood: Rebecca Caulfield; Áine Barry, Leanne Rowe, Annie Rose Lyng; Emily Kinsella, Katie Kehoe, Sally Kehoe; Mai Dempsey, Michelle Kinsella; Elena Kenny (0-3), Amy Ennis (0-1), Kate Foley (0-5, 3 frees, 1 ’45); Sarah Foley, Sinéad Ryan (10), Sarah Walsh (0-1). Subs. - Ciara Walsh for Barry, also Adrianne Parker, Emer Hunt, Leah Arnold, Yvonne Murphy-Walsh, Sophie Waters, Sophie Crosbie, Maggie Dempsey, Ciara Furlong, Caitlin O’Brien-O’Hanlon, Tara Kenny.
Referee: Ger Cullen (Ballyhogue).