Windgap advance to first Senior final

MICHAEL LYNG MOTORS HYUNDAI SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI FINAL

WINDGAP 1-16       BARROW RANGERS 0-11

BY PETER BREEN

Windgap eased their way into the Senior Camogie Final for the first time in their Club’s history with a comprehensive win over Barrow Rangers (Paulstown/Goresbridge) at a sunny Thomastown last Saturday. In only their second season at Senior level it was a fair achievement for the Rangers girls to reach the semi final but there was to be no fairytale ending. Their cause wasn’t helped when they lost captain Aimee Morrissey in the warmup when an injury picked up the previous Saturday flared up again. Windgap won the toss and elected to play with the wind. A pointed free from Rangers Róisín Breen in the first minute got the scoreboard ticking but their one and only time to lead the match was short lived as within a minute Denise Gaule levelled with a pointed free. Gaule and Breen then exchanged pointed frees. An eleventh minute pointed free from Gaule put the Southern girls into a lead that they would not relinquish. On the 14th minute a Rangers attack broke down and the resulting massive clearance landed in the Rangers square where after a goalmouth scramble Caoimhe O’ Shea forced the sliotar over the line. Within a minute Ciara O’ Shea added another point to leave the score Windgap 1-04 Barrow Rangers 0-02. Windgap lost their full forward Joanne Cody through injury but her replacement Deirdre Purcell proved an able deputy and slotted in seamlessly. Windgap’s lead was extended to six when Gaule pointed from play. Rangers were finding it increasingly difficult to get ball into their full forward line. Windgap with their six point cushion were playing with confidence and looked the more assured team. Before the half ended Breen landed two more frees while Ciara O’ Shea converted two 45’s. Halftime Windgap 1-07 Barrow Rangers 0-04. With the wind at their backs for the second half Rangers needed a good start and Miriam Bambrick duly obliged with a point in the opening minute. This would prove to be Rangers only score from play!! Any hope of a fight back was short lived as from the resulting puck out Cliodhna O’ Shea slotted over her first point. Windgap pushed their lead out to seven with a Ciara O’ Shea point. Breen landed two frees either side of one from play by Molly Walsh. From the ninth to the eighteen minute both teams battled hard but it was a barren time on the scoreboard. An unfortunate injury to Caoimhe O’ Shea saw her having to leave the pitch. Rangers were getting more ball into their forwards but the Windgap defence was steadfast and made sure that their own forwards were getting ample supply of ball. Having gone almost ten minutes without a score we then had three in three minutes, two frees from Breen being split by one from play by Cliodhna O’ Shea. Windgap 1-11 Barrow Rangers 0-09. With six minutes of normal time remaining Deirdre Purcell got her reward for all her hard work with a well deserved point. With time ebbing away Rangers did their best to penetrate the Windgap defence but the Southern outfit were equal to the challenge and found unmarked girls all over the pitch. Before the final whistle Gaule added three more to her tally, one from play, while Cliodhna O’ Shea got her third point. A pointed free from Breen and a 45 by Bambrick was Rangers response. Windgap were full value for their win and had six different scorers. They know that a sterner test awaits them in the Final but they’re there on merit and will trouble any team. Rangers dependence on placed balls for scores was never going to be good enough to win a semi final but for them it was a good journey while it lasted.

Windgap: Ali Kennedy, Eimear Moylan, Catherine Foley, Sarah Doherty, Gillian Costelloe, Michaela Kenneally, Orlaith O’ Shea, Denise Gaule, Nathania Jackson, Cliodhna O’ Shea, Molly Walsh, Ciara O’ Shea, Caoimhe O’ Shea, Joanne Cody, Sontae Jackson.

Subs: Deirdre Purcell for Cody (inj), Jenny Saunders for Caoimhe O’ Shea (inj), Megan Kenneally

Barrow Rangers: Niamh Doyle, Jessica Smith, Aideen O’ Connor, Patrice Mullins, Ellen Purcell, Shauna Treacy, Chloe Brennan, Miriam Bambrick, Orla Dormer, Johanne Barcoe, Róisín Breen, Paige Foley, Ella O’Reilly, Katie O’Byrne, Aoife Ryan

Subs: Rhianna Scott for Barcoe, Rebecca Holden for O’Reilly

Windgap Scorers: Denise Gaule (0-7, 0-5f), Ciara O’ Shea (0-4, 0-2 45’s, 0-1f), Cliodhna O’ Shea (0-3), Caoimhe O’Shea (1-0), Deirdre Purcell (0-1), Molly Walsh (0-1)

Barrow Rangers Scorers: Róisín Breen (0-9f), Miriam Bambrick (0-2, 0-1 45)