Cuala Camógs Take Junior Two League Title

Nobody said it was going to be easy! Erin’s Isle on a Tuesday evening is a tough place to win in any circumstance. To travel there with a League Title at stake without seven regulars makes it a daunting task indeed.

But the Cuala crew stepped up with Asia, Daria, Laragh and Christine stepping up the divisions and Muireann, Sofie and Eabha joining from the Minors.

Tara Leahy made her debut as a goal-keeper and won the Oscar for best performance!

It didn’t start well though. Traffic snarled up on the M50 meant the late arrival of 3 car-loads.

A goal and two points in quick succession from the Isle’s girls had the travelling Cuala supporters worried.

Muireann, Maedbh and Jen in the full-back line were far to busy. Muireann was sweeping across the defence and clearing long balls into mid-field. Tara was immaculate in goals, but the pressure was now sustained.

Balls were raining in on the defence from the diamond outfield. The Cuala girls were second to the ball all over the pitch, and losing the breaks. It was lucky Rob wasn’t there to count the turnovers!

Ciara O’Connor decided that something needed to be done. She took on the mantle of leader and took the game by the scruff of the neck.

She was outstanding. Sarah, Claire and Orlaith followed her lead and began to assert themselves around the middle.

On the inside line, Maedbh and Laragh who had been starved of ball, began to see more action.

Eabha and Saoirse at wing-forward began to fight for everything.

Hannah, Asia and Sofie in the half-back line started to get on top, and the game was beginning to turn.

A long range goal and a few wonderful long-range frees from Ciara brought down the curtain on the first half on a scoreline of 1:2 to 1:4.

Cuala could breathe again, down by two. The “hairdryers” were out at half-time, players were in no doubt what was expected of them in the second half!

They roared out of the traps after the break.

Daria, Susie-lee and Christine were sprung from the bench.

Claire Harrison took the ball at the throw in and launched the ball into the full-forwards. Point.

Sarah Dunne decided it was time to win the game on her own and rampaged forward every chance she could get.

On 45 minutes she took her goal to turn the tide in Cuala’s favour.

Orlaith O’Sullivan, Daria ad Eabha would not allow any ball to be lost and began delivering into the hungry inside forward line.

Daria was like a terrier and would not concede anything to the Isles girls, winning ball after ball and passing off to the shooters.

But Erin’s Isle just wouldn’t lie down. They obviously hadn’t read the script.

Their no. 11 charged through the Cuala defence and danced through tackles before she was in open country 12 metres out. A green flag was beckoning when, out of nowhere, Tara Leahy came off her line to block her shot.

Palpitations on the sideline with 8 minutes to go – what a save!

Fintan had Cuala one point up with 5 minutes on the clock.

Every time a ball was hit goalward, defibrillators and heart-monitors were being distributed by Siobhan on the line!

But they say goals win matches. Up stepped Maedhb Ni Finneadh with a well worked effort followed almost immediately by an absolute cracker from, player-of-the-match, Ciara O’Connor.

Final score 4:6 to 1:7. Cuala move up to Junior 1 and take the league title.

A great campaign and well done throughout to Seonín, Sunni, Caitlin, Lucy, Maedbh, Sarah, Meabh, Caoimhe and Rob who were sidelined by the rearranged date for this game.

Onwards to Championship.

Cuala Camógs Take Table Top Clash in Style

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.