Orlaith Cahalane hat-trick fires St Finbarr's into Munster camogie club semi
Orlaith Cahalane in Munster club championship action for St Finbarr’s at Togher. Picture: Larry Cummins
St Finbarr’s are through to the semi-final of the AIB Munster Senior Camogie Championship after a hard-fought win over Truagh-Clonlara at MTU on Sunday.
With the two beaten All-Ireland finalists over the last two seasons clashing, this was always going to be a fiery clash, though the Cork side did lay down a first-half marker.
Truagh-Clonlara came back at them after the break and the Barrs had to call on all their experience to get through this one with Gemma O’Connor putting in a superb performance in defence. Up front Sorcha McCartan, Kate Wall and Orlaith Cahalane, who scored three of their goals, were a handful all through for the Truagh-Clonlara defence.
Had the Barrs lost the game they might have questioned a few of the decisions over the hour when a lot of the 50-50 calls seemed to go the way of the Clare side. That would be backed up by the stat that they didn’t get a single score from a free for the entire game while their opponents converted seven.
It took only three minutes for the Barrs to score their opening goal, with Nicole Olden on target. A long sideline ball in by McCartan was pulled on by Olden for the game’s opening score.
Wall added a point before Roisin Begley replied from a free for Truagh-Clonlara, to make it 1-1 to 0-1.
Hannah Horgan added a point for the Clare side, before two from McCartan stretched the Barrs' lead, despite playing against a strong wind. Begley got her second from a free, before two more from Wall made it 1-5 to 0-3 after 16 minutes.
McCartan added another before she set up Cahalane for their second goal. Her inch-perfect pass found Cahalane and she gave Sophie Cullen no chance of saving, to make it 2-6 to 0-3.
Wall added another before McCartan repeated the feat and set up Cahalane for the Barrs third goal. Eimear Kelly got the last score of the half for Truagh-Clonlara as the Barrs deservedly led by 3-7 to 0-4 at half-time.
Credit to Truagh-Clonlara they came out fighting after the break as they scored the first seven points of the second half.
Laura Foley, from a free, was followed by another from a free by Begley. Niamh Ryan and another Begley free made it 3-7 to 0-8 after 40 minutes. Eimer Kelly, Aine O’Loughlin and Begley added points to make it 3-8 to 0-11 after 44 minutes.
McCartan got the Barrs' first score of the second half, before Truagh-Clonlara were thrown a lifeline when they found the back of the net. A mix-up in the Barrs defence let O’Loughlin in and she gave Ciara Hurley no chance of saving in the Barrs goal.
Cahalane and Begley exchanged points to make it 3-9 to 1-12 after 57 minutes.
A minute later, McCartan caught a great ball in midfield and played it forward to Cahalane. She rounded several defenders before finding the back of the net to put the game beyond doubt.
She added a point as the Barrs ran out deserving winners and now face Thurles Sarsfields in the semi-final next Sunday in Tipperary.
O Cahalane 3-2, K Wall, S McCartan 0-4 each, N Olden 1-0.
R Begley 0-6 f, A O'Loughlin 1-1, E Kelly 0-2, H Horgan, L Foley (f), N Ryan 0-1 each.
C Hurley; S Punch, A Egan, K Cahalane; M Cahalane, G O’Connor, A O’Neill; L O’Donovan, A Shannon; N Olden, E Wigginton Barrett, C Golden; K Wall, O Cahalane, S McCartan.
E Hurley for E Wigginton Barrett (46), I Keegan for K Cahalane (52 inj), A Byrne for C Golden (60).
S Cullen; N Powell, M Powell, T Morris; E Horgan, L Foley, A Marren; M Caulfield, E Begley; J Egan, R Begley, H Horgan; E Kelly, N Ryan, Á O’Loughlin.
L Hawes for E Kelly (55).
Donnacha O’Callaghan, Limerick.
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