Piltown hold off Lismore comeback to claim All Ireland honours

Piltown 1-10 Lismore 1-09

Piltown’s dream of claiming there first ever All-Ireland intermediate club camogie title became reality as they held off a late rally from champions Lismore to record a 1-10 to 1-09 victory in a blistery cold Croke Park on Sunday last to claim a clean sweep of titles that included the All County League, League, County Championship and Leinster title a total of 17 games undefeated.

Lismore started the contest well and were on target with a free from Aoife Hannon in the third minute after Triona McGlone had been fouled . Piltown bounced back well and got 1-03 without reply. Edel Long started the burst with a point in the seventh minute from twenty one meters. Katie Power then tapped over a forty five after a mixed up in the Lismore defence. And by the eleventh minute Piltown were motoring when Chloe Holden tapped over an excellent point from play. Things got even better for the challengers when Chloe Blackmore got in for the opening goal of the contest. She gained possession from a Niamh Culleton pass to drive the ball to the back of the Lismore net to put Piltown 1-03 to a 0-01 ahead. Nicola Morrissey replied for Lismore with a point in the eighteenth minute to end a baron patch in the contest. Katie Power responded with a further forty five to nudge Piltown four clear. Lismore bounced back with two frees on the trot from Aoife Hannon. She started the burst with a free from thirty five meters in the twentieth minute before she tapped over a further free from the same distance in the twenty fourth minute to see Lismore trail by a goal coming up to half time. Piltown nudged themselves further clear when Katie Power tapped over a free a minute later from twenty one meters before Laura Norris tapped over an excellent point from thirty five meters to make it 1-06 to 0-04 points. Lismore were given a lifeline just on the stroke of half time when they got a goal. Piltown were penalised for fouling and Aoife Hannon rocketed a 20m free to the Piltown net, despite the presence of 6 players between the posts to leave them trailing by just two 1-6 to 1-4 at half time. Piltown would of being kicking themselves going in only two ahead having played against a strong breeze they would of feeling they should of being further clear.

Piltown started the second half well and got the opening score of the half from Chloe Holden when she tapped over from twenty one meters. Katie Power pushed the victors four clear again in the thirty fifth minute when she tapped over a free from twenty one meters to make it 1-08 to 1-04.

The Piltown defence were beginning to find there feet in the game and was limiting the scoring opportunities for the Lismore side. Aoife Hannon responded for Lismore with two points on the trot. The first came in the forty third minute from a free from thirty meters, she followed this up a minute later with a further free to cut the deficit to two points 1-08 to 1-06. Katie Power responded for Piltown with two points the trot. The first came from a free in the forty ninth minute from twenty one meters. Katie Power then tapped over a point from thirty five meters in the fifty third minute to put four in it again. It was going to take one hell of an effort for the champions to get back into the contest, a challenge they were more then up for. They cut the gap to a goal in the fifty seventh minute when Aoife Hannon tapped over a free from thirty five meters. They had the ball in the net a minute later when Nicola Morrissey tapped the ball past Aoife Norris in the Piltown goal, but her effort was overruled by the referee as she was in the square when providing the finishing touch, a serious let off for Piltown. The loser finished the contest with two points from Grainne Kenneally from thirty meters in the fifty ninth minute to cut the gap to two points going into added time. Aoife Hannon then tapped over a free in the sixty first minute to cut the gap to the minimum in added time. Try as they might Lismore could not get the equalising score as the Piltown defence held firm led by Player of the Match Kelly Ann Doyle to record a famous win.

Scorers –Piltown: Katie Power 0-6(3fs, 2 45), Edel Long 0-01,C Blackmore 1-0, Chloe Holden 0-2; L Norris 0-1. Lismore: Aoife Hannon 1-7(1-5fs); Nicola Morrissey 0-1 , Grainne Kenneally 0-1

Piltown: Aoife Norris, Mairead Power, Elaine Kenny, Jennifer Norris, Debbie Phelan, Karen Duggan, Kellyann Doyle, Laura Norris, Alice Talbot, Niamh Culleton, Katie Power, Edel Long, Chloe Holden, Chloe Blackmore, Lorraine Long.

Sub: Georgina Culleton, Katelynn Phelan,Carol McCarthy, Lisa McCarthy, Niamh Dermody, Ellen Commins, Sinead McCarthy, Aine Power, Nicola Phelan, Maria Foley, Leanne Dunne, Siobhan Dermody, Fiona Long, Jean Power, Antonia Power.

Lismore: Tanya Morrissey, Niamh Molumphy, Shauna Prendergast, Marie Russell, Aoife Houlihan, Shauna Kiernan, Sarah Fenton, Sharon Williams, Shona Curran, Nicola Morrissey, Grainne Kenneally,Aoife Hannon, Ruth Geoghegan, Caithriona McGlone, Johanna Houlihan.

Subs: Aisling O’Brien, Sarah Coughlan, Sarah Geoghegan, Ellen Curran, Alice Russell, Laura Buckley, Kate Heneghan.

Referee: Peter Dowd (Meath)