Sarsfields soar to camogie glory by dethroning Seandún
Sarsfields celebrate their win over Seandún at Castle Road. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
THE senior double is done and dusted as Sarsfields won the SE Systems Championship final in Castle Road on Sunday to match their hurling counterparts who claimed their senior title a week ago.
Undoubtedly, deserving winners Sars led from the outset where their confident and strong balanced play saw them win more individual battles than Seandún and from there their distribution to teammates was slicker.
Sars were faster in many sectors, Seandún struggling to hold back a pacey forward division where Orlaith Mullins and Lucy Allen ran ragged in the opening half. Seandún for their part, were jittery at the start. Both teams remained unchanged from their semi-final line-up with a few positional switches.
Sars, playing against the wind, dropped deep, Kathlyn Sheehan named at corner-forward was out around midfield, with Hollie Herlihy also floating out. Ellen Murphy was the seventh defender and with their midfielders tracking back at ferocious speed Seandún just couldn’t get space. Similar to the semi-final Seandún’s forwards were snuffed out. They had plenty of possession but came up against a resolute defence, managing just nine points from play over the hour, one from midfielder Sinead Mills.
A sticky game, Sars were three points to the good in six minutes. A Kate Fennessy free, Clare and Orlaith Mullins the providers. Amy O’Connor (f) and Allen then swapped points before two good points by Lauren Homan and Mills indicated a settling Seandún.
Fennessy (f) and O’Connor one each again before Orlaith Mullins pointed and then she won another great ball up the wing, passed inside to Lucy Allen, in turn to the flighty Clare Mullins who cooly slotted past the advancing Amy Lee. A Fennessy free finished the half, 1-7 to 0-4.
It was point for point in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. That suited Sars, the clock was ticking away and Seandún weren’t reducing the gap, still six points on 40 minutes.
Lauran Homan, Seandún’s standout player, was putting Seandún on attack and they’ll regret a few wides which might have asked tougher questions of Sars. As it was Sars remained in control, Niamh O’Callaghan leading a solid defensive outfit. Erin Curtin, Katrina Mackey and O’Connor hit three on the bounce and just the goal separated the sides.
Seandún needed to capitalise on their purple patch but crucially they missed the first of two close-in frees and that gave Sars another lift as Allen and Clare Mullins went up to stretch Sars’ lead to five again with seven minutes remaining. Chasing the game all through the second half Seandún persisted with their forced floating defender when they possibly should have pushed up.
Outnumbered up front, they were pushed back time and again. Sars were fresher and could bring on additional talent in Rachel Roche, Ella Woods and Áine Mullins. The title was going only one way and Sarsfields can deservedly enjoy their third senior title and second since 2019.
C Mullins 1-2, K Fennessy 0-5 f, O Mullins, L Allen 0-2 each.
A O’Connor 0-4 (0-1 f), L Homan, S Mills, M Coffey, E Curtin, K Mackey 0-1 each.
M Lynch; L Dunlea, E Murphy, L Kelly; C Lynch, O McAllen, N O’Callaghan; A Fitzgerald, E Twomey; O Mullins, K Fennessy, H Herlihy; L Allen, C Mullins, K Sheehan.
R Roche for H Herlihy (47), E Woods for K Fennessy (51), A Mullins for K Sheehan (59).
A Lee (Na Piarsaigh); N O’Leary, (Brian Dillons), L McKeogh (Blackrock), C O’Keeffe (St. Vincents); M Scannell (Bishopstown), P Mackey (Douglas), S K Brosnan (Brian Dillons); H Ryan (Blackrock), S Mills (Brian Dillons); C Coleman (Na Piarsaigh), K Mackey (Douglas), L Homan (St Vincent's); A O’Connor, (do), R De Faoite, (Blackrock), C O’Callaghan (Blackrock).
E Sharpe (Brian Dillons) for C O’Keeffe (28), Erin Curtin for SK Brosnan and M Coffey for C Coleman (h-t).
Andrew Larkin (Ballygarvan).
App?
