Agony as battling ’Boro lose out in Leinster camogie decider

AIB Leinster Senior Club Championship  Final

Dicksboro 3-5
Oulart the Ballagh 1-13

By Martin Quilty

Dicksboro travelled to the magnificent GAA Games Development Centre in Abbotstown on Sunday last as they played Oulart the Ballagh in the senior Leinster club championship final.

It was a cold and bitter day in the Capital as the ‘Boro players tried to dethrone the reigning All-Ireland champions. The Dicksboro team came into the game as complete underdogs but started brightly as they got the first score on the board in the 2nd minute with a point from play by Lucinda Gahan. Its then very hard to fathom that Dicksboro would not score for the remainder of the first half.

Oulart were slow to start but when they did get going, they were like a run away steam train that couldn’t be stopped, but for the heroics of Kirsty Maher in the Dicksboro goal it could have been a completely different story in that half. Oulart got on level terms with Dicksboro with a Katie Gallagher point from play. Oulart were running the Dicksboro players ragged any by the water break lead 0-4 to 0-1 with the help of points from Ursula Jacob (0-2f) and Stacey Keogh. It was a joy for any neutral to watch Oulart as the running off the ball, the support play and the tenacious defending showed why they were the current senior club champions.

As mentioned earlier Kirsty Maher was outstanding in goal for the ‘Boro during that first quarter she got down low to her right to make a fantastic save from an Ursula Jacob effort, many people would have put their house on Jacob to score but Maher had different ideas. 90 seconds later she made an even better save from point blank range as a loose ball broke to Una Lacey and Maher was brave to stop the Oulart stalwarts shot.

Boro looked nervous, they couldn’t retain any possession, they won no dirty ball and when they got the ball Oulart overturned it with ease. Things went from bad to worse for the challengers when Una Lacey stepped up to take a penalty and drove it to the net despite a great effort from Maher in the goal.

At the interval it was the All-Ireland champs who led and had a comfortable lead 1-7 to 0-1. How could Dicksboro stop the steam train? Was this going to be an absolute trimming?

Well just like St Ryangh’s did with Barrow Rangers,  Dicksboro got a fast goal two minutesinto the second half. Amy Clifford stepped up to a 20m free, she went low trying to deceive the keeper, Lauren Sinnott could only bat the ball down and Aobha O’Gorman was in like shot to send the ball to the back of the Oulart net. Things were starting to look up for the Kilkenny champions. Oulart responded well to the goal and points from Shelly Keogh and an Ursula Jacob free gave the Wexford women a cushion.

Both sides exchanged points over the next few minutes, Aoife Prendergast and Jenny Clifford for Diskcboro and Ursula Jacob and Shelly Keogh for Oulart left the score 1-11 to 1-4 at the 2nd half water-break. Dicksboro made a sub during the water-break and brought on Orla Hanrick, she made an immediate impact and within 45 seconds Dicksboro had their second goal on the board after some tremendous work from the Boro forwards.

Shelly Keogh responded with an Oulart point to leave five points between the teams approaching the 50th minute mark. Dicksboro were now playing brilliantly. The backs were now in front of their opponents, they were distributing the ball better, they were tackling harder and they chased Oulart in packs. Dicksboro were rewarded in the 58th minute for their hard work when a 20m free was awarded to Dicksboro, Amy Clifford stepped up and she hit the free to the top corner of the net where if you tried to place it with your hand you couldn’t.

Oulart were now getting turned over, Dicksboro started to win a couple of dirty balls, they just needed to convert a couple of chances. Amy Clifford and Ursula Jacob exchanged frees leaving the score 1-13 to 3-5 going into injury time. Four minutes of injury time were announced but the game was in the melting pot right up to the very last stroke of the game.

With time almost up Dicksboro went on one last attack, the ball was delivered by Ciara O’Shea up to Jenny Clifford, she spotted her sister in space inside and delivered a pin point pass straight into her hand, with a huge gasp from the crowd and with great anticipation Amy let rip with a shot that if it went in that was it was game over but Lauren Sinnot in the Oulart goal saved the shot and the referee blew the final whistle.

It was heartbreak right at the end it could have been a great steal but it wasn’t to be. It was Oularts day and they were crowned champions.

The second half belonged to the Dicksboro girls as they outscored the All-Ireland champions 3-4 to 0-6 but it just wasn’t to be.

Teams and Scorers

Dicksboro:- Amy Clifford 1-2 (1-2f); Orla Hanrick 1-0; Aobha O Gorman 1-0; Aoife Prendergast, Jenny Clifford, Lucinda Gahan 0-1 each

Oulart the Ballagh:- Ursula Jacob 0-6 (0-5f); Shelly Keogh 0-4; Una Lacey 1-0; Stacey Keogh 0-2; Katie Gallagher 0-1

Dicksboro: Kirsty Maher, Kate Dempsey, Ciara O’Shea, Katie Byrne, Tara Clifford, Niamh Phelan, Jane Cass, Aoife Prendergast, Ciara Phelan, Asha McHardy, Lucinda Gahan, Caoimhe Dowling, Amy Clifford, Aobha O’Gorman, Jenny Clifford

Oulart the Ballagh: Lauren Sinnott, Miria O;Dowd, Aideen Brennan, Katie Roche, Aoife Dunne, Ciara Storey, Mary Lacey, Stacey Keogh, Anais Curran, Katie Gallagher, Shelly Keogh, Leanne Nolan, Ursula Jacob, Una Lacey, Louise Sinnott

Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)