Cork Camogie: St Catherine's hold on against Blackrock to secure second victory
St Catherine's Ally Mulkerrins hit 0-4 against Blackrock. Picture: David Keane.
St Catherine's made it back-to-back SE Systems Senior Camogie Championship wins as they finished well to overcome a determined Blackrock in Castlelyons.
A close opening quarter saw the sides level on three occasions.
Teegan Murphy, who had an excellent hour for St Catherine's, showed her pace as she pointed six minutes in for the first score. Maeve Coffee replied with Aoife Hurley and Ally Mulkerins and then Hayley Ryan and Cliona O'Callaghan trading points.
Both sides were guilty of erratic shooting but Laura Hayes was a commanding figure in the Catherine's defence and she steadied the ship with long clearances as Blackrock put on the pressure.
Up front Meabh Fitzgerald and Hurley were working hard against a Blackrock defence who were equal to the challenge. We went 12 minutes without a score before St Catherine's broke the deadlock and edged ahead, Orla Cotter feeding in a superb pass to Hurley who off-loaded to Fitzgerald, who made no mistake finishing to the net.
Twice the sides swapped points again Hayley Ryan with a free and Erin Curtin with one from play as Hayes and Cotter responded to give St Catherine's a 1-6 to 0-5 interval lead.
Blackrock dominated the third quarter. Hurley had extended the Saints' lead before Blackrock hit 1-4 to 0-1. A Ryan penalty had them within a point before Ryan and Kaitlin Hickey put them in front for the first time in the game with eight minutes remaining.
The East Cork side are renowned championship campaigners and dug deep. Niamh O'Regan grabbed a goal and they were firmly on top again.
With Hayes superb at six, they stood firm as Blackrock threw everything at them. Four points without reply from Mulkerins (2), Eimear O'Regan and Murphy had them five in front.
Cliona O’Callaghan did respond before Blackrock were down to 14 with a minute of normal playing time remaining.
A second Ryan goal, two minutes into added time, set up a grandstand finish but Catherine's held on to win by the minimum.
A Mulkerins 0-4, M Fitzgerald, N O'Regan 1-0 each, T Murphy, A Hurley, O Cotter (f), 0-2 each, L Hayes, E O'Regan 0-1 each.
H Ryan 2-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3 f), C O’Callaghan 0-3, M Coffee, E Curtin, K Hickey (f) 0 0-1 each.
Y O'Neill; M Murphy, C Motherway, L Kenneally; F Sheehan, L Hayes, C Hayes; E O'Brien, M O'Keeffe; T Murphy, O Cotter, A Hurley; N O'Regan, A Mulkerrins, M Fitzgerald.
A Kearney; A Leahy, M Ryan, M Cashman; L Guerin, O Grimley, A Hegarty; J O'Keeffe, H Ryan; M Coffey, S McCarthy, J Murphy, E Curtin, C O’Callaghan, K O’Sullivan.
R De Faoite for S McCarthy (36), M Murphy for L Guerin (36), K Hickey for K O’ Sullivan (38), K Lyons for M Ryan (43).
William Wallace (Aghada).
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