Blues complete unprecedented clean sweep of underage honours

Minor A Camogie Championship Final
Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-8 Clarecastle/Ballyea 0-6

Newmarket-on-Fergus admirably completed the set in Cusack Park on Wednesday evening when soaring to a first Minor A Camogie Championship crown over neighbours Clarecastle/Ballyea.
Having won titles at every underage A grade (Under 13, 14, 15, 16 and now 18) over the past twelve months, such an remarkable feat was completed by a strong finish to a tough derby battle for supremacy.
Level at 0-6 apiece by the turn of the final quarter, Aoibhe O’Leary won and fired a 20 metre free goalwards, leading to a goalmouth scramble that was eventually finished over the line by substitute Sammi O’Looney. In such an inch-tight contest that was level four times, it was a major score that the Blues would only thrive upon whereas try as they might, a deflated Clarecastle/Ballyea failed to score for the final twenty minutes of the tie.
Instead O’Looney and scorer-in-chief O’Leary fleshed out the final margin for the wind-assisted side to ease up to their first Minor A triumph since 2012.
Central to Newmarket’s victory along with those main scorers were the outstanding inspiration of full-back Jessie Hogan and midfielder Grainne McMahon.
Hogan continuously broke Clarecastle/Ballyea’s hearts with a string of interceptions and relieving clearances while McMahon’s relentless work-rate and monster strikes were unrivalled by any player in Black, White and Amber.
Clarecastle/Ballyea were not without their leaders too, with captain Evie Scanlon leading the charge from the front, tireless midfielders Leah Kelly and Ria Meaney took the game to the Blues while at the back, Clodagh Mescal and Molly Potter performed heroically to stem the tide.
However, aside from chief target and scorer Evie Scanlon, the parish amalgamation didn’t possess enough of a threat up front to really trouble Hogan and Co.
With the wind at their backs, Clarecastle/Ballyea did start brightly as they hit three unaswered points through Scanlon (2) and Ivanna Costelloe to respond to Grainne McMahon’s opening ’45.
A brace of Aoibhe O’Leary placed balls did regain parity for Newmarket, a pattern that would be replicated when O’Leary cancelled out another Scanlon free to ensure a 0-4 to 0-4 half-time stalemate.
Newmarket’s Shauna O’Callaghan did have a late shot repelled by full-back Clodagh Mescal but while they commenced the new half with fress for McMahon and O’Leary, a further pair of goal chances went abegging as Aoibhe O’Leary just missed the far post with a pull before a subsequent effort was well saved by goalkeeper Holly Morgan.
Having weathered the early storm, back came Clarecastle/Ballyea who converted a brace of Evie Scanlon frees to level the tie once more near the three-quarters mark.
Then came the narrative-altering goal for replacement Sammi O’Looney that put Newmarket firmly on the path to prestigious Minor A glory, the ultimate validation that their hard work is reaping dividends following an unprecedented clean sweep of all underage crowns.

Newmarket-on-Fergus: Holly Fahy; Amy O’Rourke, Jessie Hogan, Julie Fitzgerald; Sophie McNamara, Kate Kennedy, Aine McGann; Grainne McMahon, Caoimhe Hegarty; Laura Mai Hannon, Emma Crowe, Shauna O’Callaghan; Aine Walsh, Aoibhe O’Leary, Avril Crowe
Subs: Sammi O’Looney for O’Callaghan (41), Ava Kelly for Walsh (47)

Scorers: Aoibhe O’Leary (0-5, 2f, 2’45); Sammi O’Looney (1-1); Grainne McMahon (0-2, 1f, ’45);

Clarecastle/Ballyea: Holly Morgan; Molly Potter, Clodagh Mescal, Eimear Burke; Enya Dolan, Aoife Murphy, Zoe Ellingstad; Leah Kelly, Ria Meaney; Evie Scanlon, Hazel Keating, Roisin Halpin; Ivanna Costelloe, Sadbh Griffin, Gillian Scanlon
Subs: Addison O’Loughlin for Halpin (18), Abbie Doyle for Keating (37), Aoibhinn Mescal for O’Loughlin (54), Kiya Healy for Morgan (58)

Scorers: Evie Scanlon (0-5, 4f, 1’45); Ivanna Costelloe

Referee: John Bugler (Whitegate)