28/09/2020
Report: Inter 1 Final Erins Isle Nh Peregrines
We Are Dublin Intermediate Camogie Championship Final Erins Isle versus Naomh Peregrines
Referee: Conor Dodd
Throw in 1.00pm, Abbotstown Sports Ireland Pitch Number 4
A beautiful afternoon in Abbotstown, the sky a swathe of blue overhead and a perfectly presented pitch greeted the players and officials. A cross wind was present but negligible. Conor Dodd settled the midfield in and the throw ended up in the hands of Isle’s number 10 Claire Poole, Poole finds Gillian McCluskey and Gillian wins the free. Up steps the indomitable Louise O’Hara and
places it squarely between the uprights to take the point.
The puc out that followed landed with the number 8 Niamh Heffernan for Peregrines who laid off to her 14 Racheal Brennan who plays it back to Heffernan and Heffernan places Peregrines on the board with a tidy
point on the run. The puck out was snaffled up by Isles Jade Sullivan who is dispossessed by Christina O’Reilly (ex Dublin junior) who then clears it but only as far as Isles Lynn Devoy, Devoy fights hard to keep possession
and a tussle in the square ensues. Derbhla Lennon for Peregrines charges out with ball in hand she finds her number 14 Brennan who puts too much torque on the ball resulting in a wide.
McCluskey flies up under the puck out to send the ball back in towards the Peregrines goalie, the ball veers out left and wide. Double trouble now for Isles as the number 8 and 9 the Heffernan twins make a run in on the goals, Isles number 2 Chloe Nolan defends like a dervish and wins a free out for Isles a skirmish ensues with neither set of players giving ground and Conor Dodd devides a throw ball will settle the play. The ball is flicked out to O’Hara who steadies herself and plants one high between the posts. Isles 7 Lauren Patterson positions herself beautifully to catch the puck out, the ball in didn’t find its mark and dribbled out over the line. Patterson determined to make it count intercepts the line ball and creates an attacking opportunity for Isles once again the ball is out over the line. Aoife Heffernan steps up to take the sideline cut and finds her twin in the forward line but the ball sails wide. Isles have the puck out again and a nice passage of play in around the half forward line results in Lynn Devoy taking a super point from a very tight angle. Peregrines 10 Derbhla Lennon receives a nice ball in hand from her goalies puck however is dispossessed by Isles McCluskey who finds Devoy with a snappy strike, no hesitation from Devoy as it whistles between the posts for another point. Peregrines win their own puck out but a wide follows. The Isles puck out results in the Heffernans going on the run for Peregrines splitting the Isles defence wide open – Brennan finishes it out for the twins
slamming a goal into the back of the Isles net. The ensuing puck out finds midfield and the resulting melee leads to Peregrines Sweeny popping a point answered by Devoy from Isles with a point of her own
The second quarter sees Megan Thomas receiving a pass from McCluskey, taking a point followed by O’Hara taking a further point from a free. Patterson wins the puck out for Isles and Cassie McEvoy (ex Dublin minor) adds another point. O’Hara gets under the puck out and fights to keep possession, she is awarded a free but didn’t convert on this occasion. O’Hara is in action seconds later when Isles win an indirect free. Several skirmishes result with Isles Jasmine Lowe finishing it out with another point. A succession of wides for both sides follow in the next few minutes with a battle in mid field - O’Hara is constantly mopping up and repeatedly fires the ball into her forward line eventually she finds Devoy who lays
off to Lowe, Lowe bursts into space and claims her point seconds before the half time whistle.
HT Score. Erins Isle 8 points Peregrines 1-3
Isles win the throw in to start the second half and both teams are giving it their all to try and gain supremacy – Peregrines Aoife
Deegan got under the Isles goal keepers clearance from a goal attack and sends it over the bar. The battle for possession rages on in midfield and Devoy entering the fray wins a crucial free – Megan Thomas coverts it and gets her point. The Peregrines puck out finds Aoife Heffernan and a deft lay off sees Aoife Deegan rattle the back of the Isles net.
A ferocious and exciting passage of play saw Isles rack up a further goal and two points with Peregrines claiming two points of their own to leave the score at the water break Isles 1-11 Peregrines 2-6.
All to play for in this quarter and nothing Doddery about Dodd as he runs the pitch keeping up with the pace of play.
Louise O Hara fights like a lioness for possession and wins a free which Sarah Langan converts – Isles Cassie McEvoy scoops up the puck out finds McCluskey and another point on the board for Isles.
Deegan wins possession for Peregrines and pops it over the bar narrowing to gap to three points. Heffernan steps up to take another free for Peregrines and puts it over. Another free won by Peregrines and Niamh Heffernan puts it over followed by nearly exactly the same run of play Heffernan put the ball over the bar yet again in the 29 th minute to level the scores Isles backs are under serious pressure now but O’Hara and Trawely are pulling back defending superbly and
working the ball up through the half forward line to find Megan Thomas who wins the free and steps up – No room for nerves with the dreams of the team resting on her shoulders she squares up and it’s over the bar. The whistle blows a minute later and Isles erupt with joy. Peregrines were in the
running right up to the final whistle and no doubt they will contest again next year.
Report by Rachel Rogers
Photo Credit: iLivephotos.com
