Craanford 4-07
St. Ibars 0-00
Craanford – Monaseed Camogie clubs GAA pitch was the cold venue for the first round of the U16 championship against St.Ibars on Monday night. Overcast, damp and floodlit, not ideal conditions for a camogie match.
From the offset, both teams could not be separated with both teams putting three chances off target. In the fifth minute, Sarah Doyle, Craanford, pointed the first point of the game from a free on the 65metre line. Elizabeth Gahan, Craanford, followed in her teammate’s footsteps, but took it one step further by firing the sliother into the back of the Ibars net.
Niamh Hearne from the Ibars went on the first burst for her team but her goal attempt resulted in a 65 which was brought back out by Meabh Bairead who off handed it to Melissa Doran, Melissa went on a run to pass it onto Brid Doyle who was denied by the Ibars goalie Katie Feeney. Hearne was the stand out player for her team, St. Ibars, returned to the Craanford goal area but was denied by Keeva Redmond in the Craanford goal.
A free by Melissa Doran was landed into the safe full hands of Sarah Doyle who continued her score tally with another point in the 14th minute. Elizabeth Gahan and Saoirse Kenny added to Craanford – Monaseed side’s outstanding score line against a determined St. Ibars side. Elizabeth Gahan scored her second goal in the 22nd minute which was the last score of the first half. County stars Melissa Doran and Sarah Doyle as well as Elizabeth Gahan were the stand out girls in the first half for Craanford with Niamh Hearne, Lily Stout and Mailing Tynan playing well for St. Ibars. Half time score was 2-4 to 0-0.
Sarah Doyle started the second half off with a point two minutes in. While the ball was pucked out it wasn’t long till it returned with Melissa Doran shooting one destined for goal but was knocked out by the St. Ibars goalkeeper, Katie Feeney, but Dearbhaile Kenny who just came on for Craanford made sure to put her name on the score sheet by knocking it into the back of the net. Four minutes after the third goal, Sarah Doyle sticks another one into the Ibars net. While Melissa Doran puts the icing on the cake with her third point of the game from play. Full time score was 4-7 to 0-0.
Although the Ibar’s did not score in the game, they never gave up, and kept trying.
Report by Emma Greene