All-Ireland Final disappointment for Presentation Kilkenny

It was a case of so near and yet so far as Presentation Kilkenny suffered the agony of a one point loss to St Patrick’s Maghera in a well-contested Allianz All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Junior Camogie Final in Castleblaney on Saturday afternoon.

The Derry school contested the last two finals in the grade and it turned out to be third time lucky as they gained some consolation for their recent defeat in the senior final to another Kilkenny school, Loreto.

Despite the tight finish St Patrick’s were deserving winners. Presentation Kilkenny were impressive in the early stages of both halves, but for much of the remainder of the game the winners were on top.

The Maghera school opted to play corner forward Aoibheann O’Loughlin as an extra defender in the first half, with the clear intention of keeping the Presentation scores to a minimum.

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The winners got the game’s first score with a point after thirty seconds from Clodagh McIlver. With the unmarked Taylor Aylward dominating at the heart of the Presentation Kilkenny defence and reading the game superbly, the Loughboy school got an early boost when Niamh Drennan scored a fine goal, with Emily Phelan adding a point from a free two minutes later.

The momentum appeared to be with the Leinster champions at this stage, but remarkably they were not to score again during the remainder of the first half. The winners took control with midfielder Emma Quinn and wing forward Brianna Donaghy running at their opponents defence at every opportunity. Quinn landed three points from placed balls in an eleven minute spell to tie the game on nineteen minutes.

Throughout the second quarter the winners had ample opportunities to stretch the margin between the sides and would have done so but for the brilliance of Clodagh Galway in the Presentation goal. The young Thomastown custodian made four superb saves and despite St. Patrick’s adding further points through Emma Quinn and Brianna Donaghy, the Presentation would have been happy heading in at the break to be trailing by just two points. Presentation fluffed two decent goal-scoring chances five minutes before the interval.

The second half was similar to the first with all the momentum with the Presentation girls in the early stages. An attack after two minutes resulted in a ’45 being awarded which Amy O’Shea pointed. The Carrickshock attacker pointed a free three minutes later to tie the game.

Presentation Kilkenny had now regained the momentum and two goals within a minute gave them a decisive edge. Both goals were very similar. The first came from a long delivery from Emily Phelan which went under the crossbar to deceive the St. Patrick’s goalie Karen Birt. The second was also a long delivery this time from Amy O’Shea from out on the wing which also landed into the St. Patrick’s goal under the crossbar.

With Presentation Kilkenny now leading by six points, St Partick’s were forced to reshape their team. The spare
defender was despatched to their attack and suddenly they were a different team.

It took the Derry school seventeen minutes to get their first score of the second half, a point from Aoibheann
O’Loughlin who had been playing as their spare defender.

Presentation Kilkenny really struggled for possession in the closing quarter as the winners slowly eroded the margin between the sides. Points from midfielders Emma Quinn (from a ’45) and Aoife McWilliams left a goal between the sides with nine minutes remaining.

Two minutes later the game was tied when poor defending from Presentation Kilkenny saw Clodagh McIlver score a goal. The constant pressure from the winners saw them regain the lead one minute from injury time when Aoibheann O’Loughlin score what turned out to be the match-winning point.

To the credit of the Presentation girls they pushed hard in injury time to claw back their opponent’s lead. The game looked to be heading for extra time when the Kilkenny school were awarded a close in free only for the ball to come back into play off the upright. The attack that followed saw the ball go inches wide and with it the final opportunity for Presentation Kilkenny to save the game.

The winners had excellent players in Emma Quinn, Aoife McWilliams, Eimhear Conway, Brianna Donaghy and Aoibheann O’Loughlin.

Clodagh Galway kept Presentation Kilkenny in the game in the first half with some superb goalkeeping. Taylor Aylward was excellent all through the game with Hannah Tennyson, Emily Phelan, Amy O’Shea and Niamh Drennan also putting in strong performances.

See this week's People Sport for more coverage

St Patrick’s Maghera - Karen Birt, Isabelle Martin, Gracie Mae Bradley, Caitlin McNally, Ríona Scully, Eimhear Conway, Gracie
Diamond, Emma Quinn, Aoife McWilliams, Brianna Donaghy, Clodagh Mcilvar, Róisín McAtamney, Aoibheann
O’Loughlin, Ríonach McNally, Grace McCartney.

Subs (Used) – Ciara O’Loughlin.

Presentation Kilkenny - Clodagh Galway, Moya O’Shea, Hannah Tennyson, Anna Morrissey, Carragh Brennan, Taylor Aylward, Ada Bambrick, Ellen Treacy, Clodagh O’Callaghan, Kate Dalton, Emily Phelan, Katie O’Shea, Amy O’Shea, Niamh
Drennan, Lisa Fitzpatrick.

Subs (Used) – Aisling Coverdale, Noah Bambrick & Lauren Skehan.

Referee – Jim O’Rourke (Monaghan).