Cuala B 3-11 – Whitehall Colmcilles 3-07

With postponements and byes, this was only the Cuala 2nd Adult Camogie team’s second game in the League.  They were up against the League leaders in Whitehall, a team that had blasted through their opening matches scoring nine goals and over 20 points.  A tough task then, made harder with the concession of a goal straight from the throw-in.

On a pleasant evening in Meadowvale though, and on a pristine pitch, the team warmed to their task. Saoirse Breathnach opened the Cuala account on 12 minutes and two well-taken frees from Ciara O’Connor had them find a foothold in the game.  A second Whitehall goal on 24 minutes though put them up 2-04 to three points.

Then up stepped Maeve Moore to blast into the goal.  The tide had turned and two more frees from O’Connor saw them trail by the minimum at Half Time.

Claire Harrison and Caoimhe Brady had been working hard in midfield and within a minute of the restart a through ball to Orlaith O’Sullivan saw her power by three defenders and set up Meave Ní Finneadha for a second goal and the lead.

O’Sullivan then joined in the scoring herself with the first of a brace of points, set up by Hannah Hodges who was covering every blade of grass.

The half-back line of Lucy Hartnett, Caitlin Byrne and Tara Leahy, alongside super sub-Doireann O’Donnell were mopping up ball.  They won 28 turnovers between them, the platform for the win.

A high ball taken by Byrne, followed by a surging run set up Moore for a second green flag, finished with precision.

Seonín Shaffrey in goals, behind her sister Sunny at full-back and flanked by Rowan Bourke and Meadbh Sheehan took care of the rare ball that flew the half-backs in the second half.

Moya Hoade and Jen O’Sullivan made valuable contributions from the bench before two more O’Connor frees, and second scores for Breathnach and O’Sullivan either side of a Moore single pointer had the home side up by 3-11 to 2-06 before a late goal and a point for the visitors put a final four-point win in the book.

Ballyboden are next up for a Cuala team that is finding something special under its new management team of John Treacy, Siobhán Sheehan and Rob Hartnett and is going places.