Kilmacud Crokes 3-07
Faughs Celtic 1-11
The drawn game between Crokes and Faughs in Abbotstown was exciting. Sunday’s replay at O’Toole Park was if anything more exciting as both these excellent sides battled for the Senior 3 honours and the right to go forward to the Leinster Intermediate championship.
It was fast, competitive, exciting, skilful, full of all the things there is to love about camogie.
Faughs played with a strong breeze in the first half. But it was Crokes who opened the scoring with a pointed free from wing forward Sorcha Meagher. Faughs responded with four unanswered points opening up a three point lead.
Crokes replied with a well taken goal by Emer O’Rafferty to leave the sides level 1-01 to 0-04 midway through the half. Frees given away by Crokes were proving costly as Faughs scored the next three points from frees courtesy of the accurate Catherine Costello. Then Sorcha Meagher and Frances McCann exchanged points.
In the 30th minute of the half Crokes levelled the match with their second goal by Sorcha Meagher. In time added on Kate Holland sent over the last point of the half to give Faughs a slender one point lead. The Half time score was Faughs 0-09 Crokes 2-02.
Playing with the wind Crokes started well with points from Michelle Hurley and Sorcha Meagher to give them a one point lead. Theresa Timmons goal in the sixth minute had Faughs back in front again by two points.
Crokes though at this stage had stopped giving away frees which had cost them five points in the first half.
In the 10 minute Julia Buckley sent over the best point of the game to reduce the lead to a single point. The pace had picked up. There was some excellent play taking place all over the field, hooking, blocking, running with and off the ball from both sides with defences generally on top.
Kerrie Kerrigan pointed for Faughs while Sorcha Meagher added a Crokes point having received a great pass from Siofra Walsh who was working tirelessly and making some telling runs at the Faughs defence. In the 20th minute came the decisive score of the half, Julia Buckley lashed the sliotar to the Faughs net. Crokes ahead by two.
There was huge excitement right to the end as both sides did everything in their power to win. In the closing stages Catherine Costello (Faughs) and Sorcha Meagher (Crokes) exchanged points, leaving still two points between the teams. Although Faughs pushed right to the final whistle, Crokes held out to win by that narrow two point margin.
Scorers:
Kilmacud Crokes: Sorcha Meagher 1-05, Julia Buckley 1-01, Emer O’Rafferty 1-00 and Michelle O’Hurley 0-01
Faughs Celtic: Catherine Costello 0-07 (6 frees and one 45) Theresa Timmons 1-00, Frances McCann 0-02 and Kate Holland 0-01.
Player of the match: Aisling Whitely (Kilmacud Crokes)
Referee: Jenny Bryne
