Courcey Rovers 3-15 

Cloughduv 0-9 

THE superior teamwork of Courcey Rovers saw them advance to the next round of the SE Systems senior camogie championship in Castle Road on Saturday. 

At half time Rovers were five points to the good with Cloughduv trailing by their five first half wides.

Defensively Courcey’s were strong with Edel and Ashling Moloney and Ciara Hayes very steady. 

At midfield Jacinta Crowley was in top form while up front Rovers had speedy and stylish forwards particularly in Linda Collins, Saoirse McCarthy and Fiona Keating.

Both sides showed steely determination and a young Cloughduv side battled hard but the experience of a talented Rovers side came more to the top as the game went on.

Rovers themselves, with a strong cross wind, had four wides within ten minutes of the restart as they put ferocious pressure on Cloughduv. 

The move of Linda Collins to centre forward paid off. With a great hand she caught a lot ball and fed Keating who was now starting to blossom and breaking through the Cloughduv defenders.

Jacinta Crowley and Lisa Lynch swapped points in a tight opening third quarter but then Rovers started to pull away. Three points from Keating and one from Collins had Rovers leading 1-13 to 0-8. 

Then Fiona Keating pounced for her first goal with fifty-six on the clock. Cloughduv continued to put in the hard work all over the pitch but the talent of Rovers in every line was proving a handful. 

With some lovely teamwork Rovers were finding each other well. Ellen Maguire and Lisa Lynch exchanged points before the final say in the remaining two minutes fell to the elusive Keating who pointed and then finished a lovely move to dance around defenders and tap to the net. 

Cloughduv now move on to the back door round where they face the losers of Glen Rovers and Sarsfields.

Scorers for Courcey Rovers: F Keating 2-5, S McCarthy 1-2, J Crowley 0-5 (0-2f, 0-1 45), L Collins 0-2, E Maguire 0-1 Cloughduv: L Lynch 0-5 (0-4f, 0-1 45), N O’Leary 0-2, J Downs 0-1, A M Ryan 0-1 each.

COURCEY ROVERS: S O’Reilly; E O’Regan, K Keohane, G Hannon; C Hayes, A Moloney; E Moloney, J Crowley; Elaine O’Reilly, Eimear O’Reilly, F Keating; L Collins, C O’Neill, S McCarthy.

Subs: A M Ryan for A Twomey (26), E Maguire for C O’Neill (42), O Twomey for L Collins (24).

CLOUGHDUV: A Murray; L Buttimer, E Dunne, A Corkery; A Barry Murphy, A Kelleher, N McCarthy, C Hughes, L Lynch; N O’Leary, R Hurley, A Twomey, O O’Driscoll, M Corkery, J Downs.

Subs: O Barry Murphy for J Downs (12), E Healy for R Hurley (18).

Referee: Cathal McAllister  (Aghada).