Ports perfection

Ports perfection

20 November 2019

THE young camogs of St Columba’s College, Portaferry, can thank their defence for soaking up the pressure throughout this exciting final in Downpatrick so that Clea Doran would become the first player from the Ards Peninsula to raise the Ulster Schools’ Junior Shield above her head.

Doran played a key part in the defence as did goalie Amelia Magee, Aislinn Savage and Ruby Kelly. Further out the strong running of Erin Caldwell, Chloe Savage and Niamh Savage helped relieve the pressure and create the openings for crucial scores that left St Malachy’s always chasing the game.

The Castlewellan team worked very hard and had a lot of possession throughout, but they couldn’t break down Portaferry’s defence often enough to get ahead. Nevertheless there were strong performances from Erin McKay, Niamh O’Toole and Ciara McMullen at the back and Niamh O’Reilly and Orlaith Sharkey further out.

St Malachy’s opened the scoring when O’Toole’s long free from defence was picked up by Amy Clarke to cleverly point from 20 metres. However, almost immediately Niamh Savage soloed down the right wing to equalise and then in the 10th minute, Portaferry got a major break when a high lob from Chloe Savage was misjudged and ended in the Castlewellan net.

Despite a lot of pressure from St Malachy’s for the rest of the half, they trailed by 1-2 to 0-3 at the break with their points coming from Chloe Trainor and a free from Niamh O’Reilly.

Castlewellan were further down when Sophie Jamshidi was on hand to poke the sliotar over the line in the opening minute of the second half after a great shot from Megan Gilmore was parried by Kelly McEvoy.

However Niamh O’Toole goaled direct from a 45 and then narrowed the gap to a single point in the 43rd minute. But that was as close as they got to reeling the Ards’ side in.

A long free from Roisin Murray into the area at the other side was blocked down for Abi Braniff to fire home midway through the half. Murray pointed a 45 and Portaferry were back in control.

Chloe Trainor responded with a point for Castlewellan, but points on the break from Chloe Savage and Erin Caldwell indicated that St Columba’s were in no mood to let it slip and they crossed the line despite a lot of late pressure from St Malachy’s that yielded two more pointed 45s from Niamh O’Toole.

St Columba’s: Amelia Magee, Roisin Murray (0-1 free), Aislinn Savage, Clea Doran capt., Leah Sims, Ruby Kelly, Emma Mageean, Erin Caldwell (0-2 frees), Chloe Savage (1-1), Abi Braniff (1-0), Clodagh Smyth, Niamh Savage (0-1), Catherine McCarthy, Megan Gilmore, Sophie Jamshidi (1-0). Subs: Eva Doran for E Mageean (36), Tamarka Kyselova for S Jamshidi (56), Sinéad McGrath for L Sims (58), Eimear McCarthy for C McCarthy (58), Niamh Braniff.

St Malachy’s: Kelly McEvoy, Caoimhe Sharkey, Erin McKay, Niamh O’Toole (capt, 1-3 frees) Cara McNulty, Ciara McMullen, Aimee O’Higgins, Niamh O’Reilly (0-1 free), Órlaith Sharkey, Ciara McEvoy, Shanna Fettes, Chloe Trainor (0-2),  Amy Clarke (0-1), Amy McElroy, Ceallach McEvoy. Subs : Lucia Higgins for A McElroy (50), Alicia McCarthy, Erin Gordon, Kayla Louise McCartan, Morgan Smyth, Evéagh Kelly, Katie Greenan, Niamh McKee, Rose Morgan.

Referee : Paddy Brannigan (Clonduff).