Lough Rea Hotel & Spa Senior Camogie Quarter-Final – Friday, 19th October 2018
Ardrahan 3-12 Davitts 1-6
Darren Kelly in Duggan Park
Ardrahan’s recovery from a disastrous start to the senior camogie championship was completed on Friday evening in Duggan Park as they outplayed Davitts.
Three goals in three minutes gave Fintan McNamara’s outfit a match winning buffer as Brenda Kerins, Cliodhna Walsh and Dearbhaile Walshe made it 3-5 to 0-1 after 13 minutes.
Ardrahan conceded eight goals in their opening two round-robin matches but have bounced back since. And after Rebecca Hennelly and Davitts’ Taragh Maloney traded frees in the first four minutes, Ardrahan started to move clear.
ARDRAHAN REACH THE FINAL FOUR!!!@Loughreahotel1 Senior Championship Quarter-Final Latest in #Duggan-Park
RESULT!!!#Ardrahan 3-12#Davitts 1-6@gbfmsports @CTribune @DazK1978 @ArdrahanCamogie #galwaycamogie #GoTogether
— Galway Daily (@GalwayDaily) October 19, 2018
Cliodhna Walsh, Hennelly and Ava Lynskey made it 0-4 to 0-1 on nine minutes before they started turning white flags into green. Dearbhaile Walshe and Lynskey moved the ball quickly into enemy territory 60 seconds later for Brenda Kerins to get the first goal.
Davitts came close when a Lorraine Farrell free needed Claire Higgins to be alert but Ardrahan’s counter reaped the maximum reward as Cliodhna Walsh finished for the second goal on 11 minutes.
Kerins added a point but Ardrahan weren’t finished. Dearbhaile Walsh put away the third goal and when Hennelly added a free on 19 minutes, the south Galway side were 3-6 to 0-1 ahead.
It was a major blow for Davitts who made significant ground this year after contesting the relegation finals of 2016 and 2017. They won Senior B and will benefit from playing in the A grade in 2019. And they guaranteed their senior status for two years.
Stephanie Broderick set up Aine Dervan on 22 minutes and Maloney added two frees. Hennelly concluded the first half giving Ardrahan a 3-7 to 0-4 lead. The pace faded during the second half especially after Ardrahan got the first three points through Hennelly.
Davitts got a lift when Fiona Daly’s long ball caught out Higgins for a 41st minute goal but it proved only a consolation. Maloney got a 45 reducing arrears to 3-10 to 1-5 before Hennelly replied. And the same two players rounded out the scoring as Maloney’s fifth free was followed by Hennelly’s ninth point.
Scorers – Ardrahan: Rebecca Hennelly 0-9 (six frees), Cliodhna Walsh 1-1, Brenda Kerins 1-1, Dearbhaile Walshe 1-0, Ava Lynskey 0-1.
Scorers – Davitts: Taragh Maloney 0-5 (three frees, one ‘45), Fiona Daly 1-0, Aine Dervan 0-1.
Ardrahan: Claire Higgins; Aine Murphy, Shauna Healy, Marguerite Howley; Megan Carr, Siobhan Gardiner, Olivia Keehan; Rebecca Hennelly, Andrea Mullins; Nicola Quinn, Ava Lynskey, Dearbhaile Walshe; Caoimhe Cahill, Brenda Kerins, Cliodhna Walsh.
Subs used: Sarah Slevin for Healy (53 mins), Chloe Cunningham for D Walshe (53 mins).
Davitts: Tara Murphy; Laura Shiel, Rebecca Dolan, Phyllis Hayes; Lisa Shiel, Lorraine Farrell, Stephanie Broderick; Ciara Gardiner, Emma O’Rourke; Aine Dervan, Fiona Daly, Claire Blake; Ailbhe Kelly, Taragh Maloney, Roisin Dervan.
Subs used: Claire McHugo for Laura Shiel (39 mins), Nicole Duggan for Blake (55 mins).
Referee: Conor Quinlan (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
Ardrahan take on St. Thomas in the 2018 Lough Rea Hotel & Spa Senior Camogie Semi-Final on Monday, 29th October. Throw-in at St. Brendan’s Park, Loughrea is 1.30pm.
