by Daragh Ó Conchúir

Eva McNeill scored eight points, four from frees) and Ava McAllister seven, all from play, as a free-flowing Antrim overcame Laois by 1-27 to 2-9 in the Electric Ireland Minor A Shield camogie final at UPMC Nowlan Park today. 

Laois were very gutsy and fought to make a game of it but it was all Antrim in the final 15 minutes as they racked up score after score with metronomic efficiency to guarantee themselves the garlands.

McNeill lofted her first point within six seconds of the throw-in, linking up with midfield partner Éabha McAllister to send the Saffrons on their way. Emer Murphy levelled for Laois but McNeill and Eimear McCaughan were on target as the winners established a two-point buffer.

A fortuitous eighth minute goal by Amy Ferris was a blow to Laois but they got the response they needed, as Murphy drilled low to the net in the 11th minute, after nipping in to gather possession brilliantly.

Eimear McCaughran brought her tally to four as Antrim began to open a gap but Laura Culleton sent a howitzer to the net, after being found cleverly by Emma Jane Cuddy and it was 1-9 to 2-4 at half-time.

Murphy and Katie Kavanagh were on target for Laois but thereafter, it was all Antrim as Ferris. Amy McAllister, McNeill and Laura Black with a brilliant score on the run from just inside the 65 ensured that the margin continued to increase right up to the final whistle.

Armagh maintained their high scoring feats through the competition and were fuelled by a hat-trick of goals from Aoibhin Donohue to prevail by 4-14 to 1-8 in the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor B decider at the St Peregrines grounds in Dublin.

It was three goals in three minutes into a strong wind mid-way through the first half that proved critical and while Down replied impressively, Armagh used the elements very well after the interval to consign last year’s final defeat to history.

A resolute defensive performance played a huge part in the victory also, as evidenced by Down failing to score in the second half. Captain, Fiadhna Loughran led that effort while adding a couple of raking points also, and pipped Donohue for the official player of the match award. Goalkeeper, Orlaith Hunter also made some crucial stops.

Dáire O’Shea opened the scoring for Down from play and followed up from a 45. Rionagh Lenaghan and Eimear McGeary hit the target for Armagh and the teams were deadlocked on three points apiece when the Orchard County outfit delivered the triple combo to stagger their fellow Ulster side.

It began with a stupendous goal from Donohue in the 13th minute. The Derrymacash teenager controlled and gathered with remarkably deft touch despite being surrounded by four defenders, turned on a sixpence and soloed to the 20m line before unleashing an unstoppable piledriver.

Caoimhe Doran responded with her second point for Down but Laoise McConnell, who had already set up a couple of points, gathered in the right corner, cut across her marker and dispatched the sliotar to the net from a tight corner. Donohue nabbed her second major from the next play and Armagh were flying.

Down shot 1-4 without reply in a very impressive riposte, started by a point from skipper, Katie Quinn. O’Shea followed up with the third of five points and then in the 24th minute somehow emerged from a ruck with possession. Her shot for a point from almost the endline hit the upright and bounced ricocheted to outside the 13m line, where Hannah Sheilds gathered and stunned everyone with a rocket on the turn to the roof of the net.

O’Shea then split the posts twice more, from a placed ball and then from play, and the margin was down to one but crucially perhaps, Armagh registered the final two scores of the half from Donohue and Loughran (a mammoth effort from outside the 45 into the gale) to make it 3-5 to 1-8 at the change of ends.

Loughran, a dual talent, drove over again at the start of the second half and it was one-way traffic from that juncture. Niamh Murphy and substitute Sorcha McKinney each pointed on the double, while McConnell converted a free as the lead stretched inexorably.

Donohue’s third goal was the cherry on top in the 59th minute. It began as McGeary bemused a couple of Down defenders with some sublime footwork on the left sideline. Her delivery bounced around 25m out and from there, it was all about Donohue’s speed and craft, as she grabbed the sliotar without breaking stride, eluded the first challenge and then ran across another retreating defender before finishing with the minimum of fuss.

Muireann Darcy replicated Donohue’s feats with her own hat-trick of goals that drove Wicklow to the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor C title in Kinnegad, a week after the county secured U16 honours.

Aisling O’Toole, Áine Darcy and Kim Kennedy were also hugely prominent in the 5-8 to 1-8 triumph over Tyrone but Muireann Darcy’s goals, particularly those that came 40 seconds into the game and then 45 seconds after the restart, were body blows from which the Red Hands never look like recovering.

Tyrone, who had beaten Wicklow in the group stages, were stunned by Darcy’s first strike and the writing was on the wall at the break, at which point the Blues led by 2-6 to 0-2.

Muireann Darcy struck initially when Charlotte Doyle’s attempt at point was batted out, and the forward controlled and drilled to the net for close range for a dream start.

Catherine Moohan, a dual star and daughter of Tyrone manager, Seán, pointed for the Red Hands but they only managed one other score into the wind, provided by the same player.

Kim Kennedy slotted two brilliant points, while O’Toole’s twin, Eimear landed a monstrous fee and Muireann Darcy also hit the target. When Doyle goaled brilliantly in the 25th minute, Wicklow were flying and further points from Aisling O’Toole and Kennedy, after brilliant work by Áine Darcy.

Tyrone needed a quick start to the second half but it was the leaders that got it, Muireann Darcy providing the finish after Áine Darcy provided the assist following an excellent block by Aisling O’Toole.

It was plain sailing from there and while Moohan doubled her side’s tally, the hat-trick was completed after the most wonderful move started by Aisling O’Toole and with Áine Darcy involved twice.

Muireann Darcy brought her tally to 3-2, while Emer Cunningham and Katie Rose Donnelly were on target for Tyrone before Cunningham booted a goal but there was still time for Wicklow sub Rebecca Murphy to lash home a tremendous goal.

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