Ballincollig camogie club into first All-Ireland final after defeating Eglish
Ballincollig celebrate after the game. Picture: INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon
Ballincollig created their own little bit of club history as they qualified for the AIB Intermediate Club Championship final following their win at Tullamore on Sunday.
The Village were in control for most of the game and at one point led by 1-7 to 0-5 in the second half. But credit to Eglish, from Tyrone, who battled back to put only two points between the sides.
Ballincollig, led by the likes of Leah Hannigan, Tara Goulding, Ailish Scanlon and Linda Dorgan, were in no mood for letting this one go. Add in Leah Weste at centre-back, who put in another Player of the Game performance, and they can go into the final in confident form.
They will now face Camross from Laois in the decider on December 14, in what hopefully will be a great day for Cork clubs.
Joining them in the senior decider are St Finbarr’s who will take on Athenry from Galway in their final. The intermediate game is scheduled for 2pm and the senior tie for 4.15pm and with a little luck two cups will be heading to Leeside come 6pm.
Speaking after their win manager Mike O’Brien said they were delighted to be in the final.
“Yeah, delighted to be there. I suppose we focused on the county first, and then when we managed to win that, focused on the Munster championship.
“And it was only during the week, after we won Munster last weekend, that we could even think about the All-Ireland series.
“It’s the first time any branch of the club has reached an All-Ireland final so it’s a big day for all in Ballincollig.”
O’Brien said that the semi-final against Eglish was a battle but he felt there were in control in the first half but they came back at them in the second.
“Tt was a tough physical game, but we looked like we were in control for the first half. I think it was six points to two at half-time and I would have said we were well value for that.
“But they came out and got a goal in the second half. They were hurling better and it was only until we got our goal that we kind of pulled away. But I felt we did control the last 10 minutes or so.”
He also had a special word for a number of their players who were all ill during the week.
“At least four or five of the girls were unwell during the week with the flu and huge credit to them for the way they played. We were worried about the lasting the full 60 minutes but only one came off so credit to all of them for their commitment to the side.”
L Hannigan 1-1, A Scanlon 0-4 f, L Dorgan 0-3, T Goulding 0-2, K Goulding (f), I Fleury 0-1 each.
A Hartnett; A Cotter, M Healy, C O’Sullivan; O Keating, L Weste, E Hickey; A Scanlon, S Healy; K Goulding, L Dorgan, O O’Leary; S McCarthy, T Goulding, L Hannigan.
R Hannigan for E Hickey; B Cunniffe for S Healy, N O’Brien for O O’Leary, I Fleury for S McCarthy.
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