Antrim battle hard for victory in Clonkill!!
ClonIrish Daily Star National Camogie League Division 2
Sunday 15th March
Westmeath v Antrim at Clonkill ,Westmeath
Westmeath 1-10 Antrim 1-11
Antrim camógs celebrated Mother’s Day with a last gasp victory over a Westmeath side who fought them every inch of the way in an exciting game at Clonkill. Paul Boyle’s team featured seven changes from the starting team that lost in Laois last weekend and got off to a great start with a very early goal from Loughgiel’s Charlene Hamill who added a fine point a minute later. Westmeath missed a great opportunity to get back into the game when Dinah Loughlin had a penalty scrambled away by the Antrim defence but she soon made up for her miss by converting a `45` followed by a free.
An exciting exchange of points took place as the game unfolded with Bronagh Orchin and Shannon Graham pointing for the visitors and Ballyboden/St.Endas star Denise McGrath putting over two grand scores for Westmeath. Antrim gradually took control of the midfield and scores from play from Sinead Cosgrove and Michaela Convery followed by an Emma McMullan `45` left a half time score of Westmeath 0-04 Antrim 1-06
Antrim made four changes at half time bringing out Lucia McNaughton, Aisling McCall, Una McNaughton, and Laura Connolly to help consolidate their lead. The complexion of the game however changed rapidly as Westmeath grabbed an early goal and point via the stick of Denise McGrath and Loughlin converted a free to whittle away the Saffron’s first half lead. Antrim eventually replied with two points from play courtesy of Emma McMullan but a series of four consecutive frees awarded to Westmeath and dispatched by the immaculate stick work of Dinah Loughlin soon brought Antrim down to earth again and the efforts of Westmeath’s Sarah King and Caoimhe McCrossan helped keep Antrim at bay and the scores level until the very last seconds of injury time when Aisling McCall of Rossa picked up a loose ball on the 20 metre line, skipped past two defenders and hammered the sliotar over the bar for an exciting and welcome last gasp victory for the visitors.
Antrim Manager Paul Boyle, speaking afterwards, was delighted with the result ,”The girls never relented and deserved this win against a good Westmeath side and with Laois losing to Wexford today it opens up the group a bit. We have a home game next weekend against Wexford and I hope we can arrange a suitable venue in Antrim to host them,for we had to play our last home game against Galway in County Derry at Lavey due to no pitches being available in our own county.”
Antrim Team: D.McMichael, D.Scally , A.Martin , T.Scullion, S.Laverty, E.Connolly, C.Hasson, S.Graham, B.Orchin, M.Mulholland, M.Convery, E.McMullan, S.Cosgrove, N.Graham, C.Hamill.
Antrim Scorers: E.McMullan 0-04, C.Hamill 1-02, M.Convery 0-01, B.Orchin 0-01, Cosgrove 0-01, S.Graham 0-01, A.McCall 0-01
Westmeath Team ; F.Keating, K.Dobson, E.McCormack, R.Scally, A.Eggerton, S.King, N.Horan, P.Greville, C.McCrossan, D.McGrath, J.McCormack, D.Loughlin, C.Corcoran, S.Jackson, K.Heffernan.
