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Kilcormac/Killoughey Win Narrowly In Offaly Minor A Camogie Final

Tuesday, 30 November 2021 11:48

They also met in the 2020 decider five months ago.

Kilcormac/Killoughey 1-7

Birr 1-6

These two sides met on Sunday afternoon only 5 months after playing in the 2020 decider with Kilcormac/Killoughey coming out on top on that occasion.  On a dull but surprisingly mild afternoon they clashed again on Sunday to decide who would take the spoils for 2021.  St Brendan's Park has seen a lot of traffic in a short space of time this past few months but all credit to the ground staff, the pitch was in good condition although the ground was soft underfoot which can only be expected given the time of year.  

Referee Shane Guinan was in charge of proceedings and once he got the game under way, Birr quickly showed that they meant business and after three minutes they had the Kilcormac/Killoughey defence under pressure and the reigning champions had Eimear Rigney to thank that Birr did not get an early goal.  

After six minutes Cayla Fletcher opened Kilcormac/Killoughey's account when she hit their first point of the game and soon followed that by adding another.  Birr quickly replied in great fashion when they fired over three points in a five minute spell with Roisin Kinsella accounting for all 3 scores to leave Birr leading at the first half waterbreak. 

Five minutes after the resumption of play, Kilcormac/Killoughey's Elizabeth Kilmartin was awarded a free which Steph Mahon took. Mahon passed the ball to Lauren Leonard who fed Cayla Fletcher who headed straight for goal and in true Fletcher style, she rattled the back of the Birr net.  Birr fought back immediately and hit 4 unanswered points, with the scores coming from Samara Hanlon, Ruth Lyons, Roisin Kinsella and Hannah Murphy to leave the half time score reading Kilcormac/Killoughey 1-2, Birr 0-6.

Three minutes into the second half Cayla Fletcher converted a free to add another point to her tally for the day.  But the period was one where defences were on top and scores were difficult to come by, so much so that the Fletcher point was the only score of the quarter.

With all to play for in the final quarter both teams knew that any mistakes could be costly. Kilcormac/Killoughey took the lead when Orla Kilmartin hit over.  Then with just ten minutes remaining, Faye Mulrooney hit what appeared to be the crucial score of the game when she fired the ball to the back of the Kilcormac/Killoughey net.  That was to be Birr's final score however and Kilcormac/Killoughey rallied and a point from Caoimhe Quinn was followed by a free that was awarded to Kilcormac/Killoughey. 

Once again their marksworman Cayla Fletcher converted the opportunity to leave the teams all square with thirty minutes played in the second half. 

Extra time was looming until Kilcormac/Killoughey were awarded another free in injury time which Player of the Match, Fletcher dramatically hit over from about fifty meters to seal the victory for her team and Kilcormac/Killoughey won their second Minor A Championship in one calendar year.  It is doubtful if they will win another in such tense and dramatic circumstances.

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