Senior B camogie: O'Mahony's survive stern test

Alannah Brady Navan O'Mahony's

Navan O’Mahony’s 2-17
Boardsmill 4-07

Round 4 of the Senior B camogie championship saw O’Mahonys welcome Boardsmill to Paddy O’Brien Park. The visitors, having played in the top tier of senior camogie in 2025, were sure to provide the Navan girls with one of their sternest examinations to date. On a balmy evening with perfect conditions, the two sides provided supporters with a brilliant hour’s entertainment. 

After a cagey opening 10 minutes with both teams converting from placed balls to open their respective accounts, the home side settled into their rhythm first and stretched ahead with some well worked scores from Mia McNally and Cara Ratty. They had opened a four-point lead when Boardsmill struck for a goal to close the gap. Further O’Mahonys points from Ailbhe Leahy and a well struck 45 from Lauren Donegan followed but just when it looked like the home side might further increase their lead, a second green flag for the visitors rocked them back on their heels. 

Throughout the half the game was played at a terrific pace with both defences coming up with some brilliant pieces of defending. After a breathless first 30 minutes there was just the minimum between the sides at the half time whistle. 

Halftime  O’Mahonys 0.09   Boardsmill 2.04 

As the floodlights came on to illuminate proceedings for the second half, supporters in attendance may have wondered if the pace would drop as a result of the energy expended in those frantic first thirty minutes. They needn’t have worried. The game continued in the same vein, a pulsating encounter with the lead changing hands on several occasions. O’Mahonys started brightly once again and added to their tally with a mini burst of well struck points, without ever looking like scoring a goal. At the other end , Boardsmill were always able to get a score of their own when needed just to make sure their hosts never pushed too far out of sight. When they stuck for their third goal, they were back in the driving seat and with a fourth goal coming with 10 minutes left on the clock it looked like O’Mahonys now had too much to do. 

To their credit, O’Mahonys didn’t let these concessions dull their determination. The introduction of Claire Mallon and Aoibhinn Kielty added energy as the game entered its defining period.  The turning point came when Ailbhe Leahy took off on a blistering run and instead of attempting her own score from a narrow angle, displayed brilliant vision to flash a long handpass across the goalmouth to the waiting Isabel O’Connor who was in the right place at the right time to catch and finish to the net. The quality and timing of the goal gave the home support a massive lift. 

Moments later a long delivery from midfielder Lauren Donegan seemed to deceive the Boardsmill goalkeeper and ended in the net. A further long-range point was added by Lauren Woods to finally put some breathing space between the two teams. Even with that the O’Mahonys full back line was called upon at the death as two late frees were floated into the box in search of a last-minute goal.  

The referees final whistle prompted an outbreak of quick maths as players and supporters alike scrambled to establish who had actually won this entertaining game.  

Focus now turns to Round 5 when O’Mahonys travel to Athboy to take on Clann Na Gael on Saturday Sept 26th while Boardsmill travel to Dunboyne.

Navan O'Mahony's: Mags Tomkins, Megan Kinsella, Amanda Feeney, Alannah Brady, Anna Gardiner, Roisin Toibin, Annie Hogan, Lauren Donegan, Isabel O’Connor, Jorja Keogh, Lauren Woods, Izzy Kinsella, Cara Ratty, Mia McNally, Ailbhe Leahy

Subs: Claire Mallon for McNally, Aoibhinn Kielty for Keogh