Final heartbreak in the fog for St Caimin’s

THERE was heartbreak for St Caimin’s from Shannon in the Munster colleges senior A camogie championship on Saturday last.

Ahead by a point at the end of normal time, the Shannon girls lost out by a point after referee Willie Barrett (Tipperary) allowed nine minutes of injury time.
While there were a lot of problems on the day when severe fog made conditions extremely difficult, supporters of the Clare school still found it hard to accept that there should be so much added time.
“I just cannot explain how we felt at the final whistle. It really was devastating,” commented team mentor Tara O’Loughlin.
St Caimin’s had enjoyed the upperhand for most of this tie which was played in Lismore. Once the first five minutes had passed, the Clare girls settled well and were full value for their half-time lead of two points, 0-5 to 0-3.
They continued to hold the lead throughout the second half and were two points clear as the game entered the final minute of normal time.
When Lismore were awarded a 20m free in front of goal, St Caimin’s supporters  expected that they would go for goal given that there was a two-point margin. However, they were satisfied to send the ball over the bar. This left them one point adrift as the game entered injury time.
Four minutes into this period, the home side levelled and everything pointed to a replay but still the play went on and in the seventh minute of additional time, they took the lead with a point from midfielder Maire Russell and this proved to be the winning score.
When the final whistle sounded, the Shannon contingent were clearly devastated at having lost their second provincial final of the season to the same opposition by the same margin.
The St Caimin’s defence played well throughout while elsewhere, Niall Corry, Laura McMahon and Sinéad Tuohy caused a lot of problems for the Waterford college.

St Caimin’s: Sinéad Hyland (Sixmilebridge); Caroline Feehily (Newmarket), Maire McGrath (Na Piarsaigh), Patricia Fawl (Sixmilebridge); Ciara Whelan (Sixmilebridge); Chloe Morey (Sixmilebridge, captain, 0-5), Leanne Boyle (Wolfe Tones); Laura McMahon (Newmarket, 0-1); Sinéad Costello (Sixmilebridge); Mairéad Hyland (Sixmilebridge), Niamh Corry (Sixmilebridge), Emily Downes (Wolfe Tones); Rachel O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge), Sinead Tuohy (Sixmilebridge, 0-2) Rachel O’Brien (Wolfe Tones).