Briege Corkery's goal gives Cloughduv crucial victory over Courcey Rovers
Courcey Rovers' Carly Helbrow and Cloughduv's Fia Drinan, tussle for possession during their SE Systems Senior Camogie Championship clash, at Coachford. Picture: David Keane.
AN edge-of-your-seat SE Systems Senior Camogie Championship group game in Coachford with Cloughduv edging a tremendous game by two committed sides.
Cloughduv take the direct route to the quarter-finals and Rovers will join them as the best of the third-placed team from the groups. With a little ambiguity around what the third-placed criteria was before the game, both sides went all out to win a true battle.
It was Cloughduv’s goal by substitute Briege Corkery after a free from Lisa Lynch landed in the square on 40 minutes, which decided the game in the end.
A strong wind blowing up field favoured Cloughduv in the opening half and they flew into a two-point lead before Saoirse McCarthy pointed the first of her five first half frees. Three in a row from Cloughduv, one from a free and two 45s from the stick of Lisa Lynch as they tried to force a healthy lead with the elements.
Both defensive’s were dogged, both sides had their attacking moments, Cloughduv with that bit more as you’d expect. Ashling Moloney doing brilliantly for Rovers with Aileen Corkery the standout for Cloughduv after brilliantly dispossessing Fiona Keating as she ran through.
Alanna Corcoran did well to block a goal at the other end as many rucks typified the tight tussles. The sides swapped points with Cloughduv holding a four-point lead coming up to half time with McCarthy (f) leaving it 0-9 to 0-6.
Rovers would have been happy to trail by three heading back out with that wind and Grainne Hannon and Keating gave them two quick points in succession. But the incredible work-rate of Cloughduv stopped the flow and Corkery got the goal to give them a four-point advantage again.
With every ball feverishly fought, four points to one for Rovers to leave the minimum in it. A Lynch free to make it 0-12 to 1-11 with five minutes left plus four additional. But no further score as both sides put their hearts on the line.
L Lynch 0-7 (0-4 f, 0-2 45), B Corkery 1-0, A Sheppard 0-2, R Hurley, M Corkery 0-1 each.
S McCarthy 0-9 (0-8 f), A M Collins, G Hannon, F Keating 0-1 each.
C O’Leary; F Drinan, J Verling, A Corkery; A Kelleher, N O’Leary, A Barry Murphy; L Buttimer, C Hughes; L Lynch, A Sheppard, N McNabola; M Corkery, R Hurley, S Bateman.
B Corkery for S Bateman (h-t), C Sheppard for R Hurley (63).
S O’Reilly; O Twomey, A Corcoran, G O’Reilly; E Moloney, A O’Reilly, A Moloney; R Gallagher, G Hannon; F Keating; E Maguire, S McCarthy; C Hayes, AM Collins, C O’Donoghue.
T Hipwell for AM Collins (49), O O’Mahony for C Hayes (56).
Michael O’Mahony (Kilbrittain).
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