Ulster Club Junior A Camogie Championship semi-finals
Granemore (Armagh) 2-16 Bredagh (Down) 2-4
Ahoghill (Antrim) 1-12 Kilrea (Derry) 0-9
AHOGHILL will face holders Granemore in the Armagh City Hotel-sponsored Ulster junior A final on Sunday.
While the Armagh champions were convincing winners in their tie with Bredagh, Ahoghill struggled for a while during the third quarter before edging their way to victory over Kilrea.
The Antrim champions got off to a good start with two points from county senior goalie Catriona Graham, who was playing at midfield while her younger sister Áine minded the goal-line.
Although Kimberley Burke responded with a point for Kilrea, she was also hooked in a goalscoring position a minute later.
At the other end, Graham pointed a free and then sent Christina Kielt the wrong way with a penalty. The home side pushed on to lead by 1-5 to 0-2 after 20 minutes.
Karen Kielt, with three scores, led a Kilrea revival in the five minutes before the break and the gap was just 1-6 to 0-6 at the turnover.
Although Kielt narrowed further on the re-start, both teams began to run up wides and with 10 minutes to go Ahoghill led by 1-8 to 0-7. They suddenly found gaps for Aisling O’Donnell (two), Noreen Graham and Katie McCloskey to pick off the scores that left Kilrea with too much to do.
Granemore made the running in the first half of their semi-final, but goals from Jenny McHugh and Naoise Kennedy undid all the good work and the teams went in at the break on equal terms, 0-6 to 2-0.
Rachel Merry had scored three of those points for the champions and she got the second half off to a flying start with a goal after 70 seconds. She quickly added two points and Ciara Hill a third as a gap began to open.
Merry then finished a good team move with her second goal in the 41st minute and Granemore were looking comfortable with a 2-10 to 2-1 lead.
Bredagh fought back with three great points from teenager Erin Daly, but with Gráinne McWilliams and Cathy Smith controlling the play and Corinna Doyle and Merry accurate up front the champions eased through.
Scorers
Ahoghill C Graham 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-5f); N Graham 0-3; A O’Donnell 0-2; K McCloskey 0-1
Kilrea K Kielt 0-5 (0-3f); K Burke 0-3; A Gorman 0-1
Granemore R Merry 2-8 (0-6f); C Hill & C Doyle 0-3 each; L Doyle & L Carr 0-1 each
Bredagh J McHugh & N Kennedy 1-0 each; E Daly 0-3; N Boylan 0-1f
Ulster Club Junior B Camogie Championship semi-finals
Naomh Treasa (Tyrone) 6-13 Marcievicz (Donegal 1-1
Middletown (Armagh) 1-16 Crosserlough (Cavan) 1-3
SATURDAY was a day when nothing could go wrong for Róisín McErlean.
The Naomh Treasa midfielder started off with a rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann and then went on a scoring spree that ended with a haul of two goals and nine points as the Dungannon side reached this weekend’s Armagh City Hotel-sponsored Ulster junior B final.
Donegal champions Marcievicz offered little resistance, a point in the first half and a goal in the second, both scored by Ciara Coulter.
Clare Kelly hit their net twice before the break as Naomh Treasa went 2-6 to 0-1 up. Becky Santos and Cora McGrath both goaled after the break either side of Coulter’s goal, while McErlean opened and closed the half with her goals.
Despite a goal and a point from Crosserlough full-forward Erica Joyce in the opening 10 minutes, Middletown powered through to claim a comfortable win in the other semi-final.
Orlagh Rafferty pointed four times and the Armagh champions turned around with a 0-9 to 1-1 interval lead.
That stretched further on the re-start when Laoise McConnell hit the net and the result was never in doubt from then onwards with Rafferty top-scoring on eight points.
Scorers
Naomh Treasa R McErlean 2-9 (0-4f); C Kelly 2-0; B Santos & C McGrath 1-0 each; G Rafferty 0-2, L Barker & C Little (f) 0-1 each
Marcievicz C Coulter 1-1
Middletown L McConnell 1-3; O Curry 0-8 (0-5f); E Mallon, N McClatchey, K Corvan & L O’Reilly 0-1 each
Crosserlough E Joyce 1-1; L Briody 0-2f
