Duanes Daybreak Intermediate Camogie Championship – Saturday, 23rd June 2018
Ahascragh/Caltra 7-22 Kiltormer 1-5
Darren Kelly in Kiltormer
Ahascragh/Caltra laid down a firm marker in their championship opener after two goals each for Michelle Ward and Denis Kelly along with strikes for Aine Tully, Aoife Ni Cheallaigh and Eimear Keane left no doubt about the winners and put them one win away from a semi-final spot.
Kiltormer were 2016 junior champions but already, survival in the second tier will be their target after suffering a disappointing loss. Ahascragh/Caltra’s intent was evident from the beginning. Captain Sarah Noone was orchestrating the attackers and despite six early wides, they’d already settled into a groove.
Five minutes in came the first goal as Tully set up Kelly. Sixty seconds later, Kiltormer countered and Mary Kilkenny came close. Kilkenny added a point following a Marion Kelly long free but they needed a goal.
Two each for Ward and Rachel O’Connor gave Ahascragh/Caltra a 1-4 to 1-0 lead before they added the second major on 19 minutes through Kelly. O’Connor’s run made it 2-5 to 0-1 before the third goal came on 21 minutes. Caoimhe Ni Cheallaigh did the work and Ward finished.
However, Kiltormer were given a glimmer of hope as Kilkenny cut inside before getting their three-pointer on 22 minutes. She added a white flag after being set up by Celine Donnelly but Ahascragh/Caltra were out of sight at the change of ends.
AHASCRAGH/CALTRA UP AND RUNNING!!!#Duanes Intermediate @OfficialCamogie Championship Latest from #Kiltormer
RESULT!!!#AhascraghCaltra 7-22#Kiltormer 1-5#KILTvsAC #galwaycamogie #Camogie2018
— Galway Daily (@GalwayDaily) June 23, 2018
Ward’s free and Tully made it 3-7 to 1-2 before Ward and Aoife Ni Cheallaigh contributed. And in injury time, Noone provided the pass for Keane to give Ahascragh/Caltra a 4-9 to 1-2 interval lead. They didn’t relent upon the restart adding two more points before Ward scored goal number five on 33 minutes.
Kiltormer’s heads looked to have dropped and the second 30 minutes must have felt like an eternity. Kilkenny ended an 18-minute drought on 43 minutes. It was short lived as Aoife Ni Cheallaigh added the sixth major on the three-quarter mark before points from Laura Naughton and Tully left it 6-17 to 1-3.
Chloe Quinn Reilly sent over a Kiltormer free and Brid Claffey also tallied before the finish but Ahascragh/Caltra were displaying a ruthless streak. Tully and O’Connor shared four scores equally before the former hit the seventh major and Ward concluded the rout.
Ahascragh/Caltra face Mountbellew/Moylough in their next outing and could eliminate last year’s runners-up. Kiltormer will need a massive boost against a confident Carnmore to reboot their 2018 plans.
Scorers:
Ahascragh/Caltra – Michelle Ward 2-7 (one free), Denise Kelly 2-3, Aine Tully 1-4, Rachel O’Connor 0-6, Aoife Ni Cheallaigh 1-1, Eimear Keane 1-0, Laura Naughton 0-1
Kiltormer – Mary Kilkenny 1-3, Chloe Quinn Reilly 0-1 (free), Brid Claffey 0-1
Ahascragh/Caltra: Anna Madden; Ciara Mannion, Emma Naughton, Helen Cullinane; Megan Higgins, Laura Naughton, Katie Fitzgerald; Sarah Noone, Aine Tully; Aoife Ni Cheallaigh, Michelle Ward, Caoimhe Ni Cheallaigh; Eimear Keane, Denise Kelly, Rachel O’Connor.
Kiltormer: Edel Kelly; Emily Turley, Chantal Muldoon, Aibhe Hanlon; Saoirse Waters, Marian Kelly, Leona Larkin; Hannah Flynn, Rachel Larkin; Corina Goode, Mary Kilkenny, Chloe Quinn Reilly; Celine Donnelly, Shauna Duane, Laura Frehill. Subs used: Lucy Deely for Frehill (36 mins), Brid Claffey for Donnelly (58 mins), Frehill for Quinn Reilly (59 mins).
Referee: Noel Gavin
