Camross power to Laois 2021 Minor 'A' Camogie title

The rescheduled 2022 Laois Minor Camogie final took place in Abbeyleix on Sunday afternoon, with Camross battling St Brigid’s for the championship. It proved to be an entertaining contest, as their were seven goals scored in the sixty-minutes.

Camross always had that edge up front though, with the class of the likes of Gráinne Delaney, Andrea Scully and Tara Lowry seeing them to a comfortable victory in the end as they claimed the Minor title.

Camross 4-13

St Brigid’s 3-6

Camross set their intentions early by building up a lead from the off. Gráinne Delaney landed two points for the Camross team, while full-forward Tara Lowry grabbed another. St Brigid’s responded through Eimear Hassett, who knocked over a free to get her side on the scoreboard.

Eimear Hassett added another free to reduce the deficit back to the minimum for St Brigid’s. Camross responded with points from Andrea Scully (free) and Tara Lowry, but Hassett kept tagging on frees to keep St Brigid’s within touching distance.

Camross struck for the opening goal of the contest after that. Caoimhe Delaney made her way towards goal and unleashed a powerful shot that proved too strong for St Brigid’s keeper Katie Phelan.

Andrea Scully fired over her second point of the game, before Hassett cancelled that out with the final score of the half which came from a placed ball. All of St Brigid’s scores came through frees from Hassett, as they struggled to get anything going in the forward line. They trailed 0-4 to 1-6 at the half-time interval.

On the opposite side, Camross looked far more clinical up front and grabbed their second goal of the game upon the resumption of play. Tara Lowry showed her physical strength to brush past a few tackles before sending a devastating shot past Katie Phelan in the St Brigid’s net.

Lowry almost bagged another goal straight after that, but pulled her effort just wide of the posts. St Brigid’s desperately needed a spark now, and they got just that five minutes into the second half. Áine Costigan’s effort from distance wasn’t cleared by the Camross defence, and Emma Jane Coss pounced to flick it into the back of the net.

The gap was reduced to four points after Áiva Coss curled over a score from an acute angle. However, that would be as close as St Brigid’s would keep it for the rest of this final, as Camross’ superior firepower came to fruition.

 Tara Lowry and Andrea Scully added a point apiece before Lowry bagged her second goal of the game. Gráinne Delaney played it through to Lowry who had only one thing on her mind, as she buried it low and hard into the bottom right corner of the goals.

 Camross were playing with a swagger and confidence now, as they tacked on three more points to extend their advantage. Andrea Scully, who had played an important part in Camross Seniors’ set-up, pointed three times on the trot for her side.

 St Brigid’s, who refused to throw in the towel until the end, replied with a second goal. Áiva Coss’ free from distance dropped short but ended up falling into the back of the net after a mix-up in the Camross defence.

Camross responded with a goal themselves, as they quickly shut the door on any faint hopes of a comeback that St Brigid’s might have had. Gráinne Delaney picked up the sliotar and showed her turn of pace to burst towards the goals, before finishing nicely into the top right corner.

 Andrea Scully popped over another point from a tight angle, before St Brigid’s scored the last goal of the game through Enya Carroll. It proved to be only a consolation goal though, as Scully sent over another score to help Camross to a well-deserved ten point victory in this Minor Camogie final.

CAMROSS

Scorers: Tara Lowry 2-3, Andrea Scully 0-8 (0-3 frees), Gráinne Delaney 1-2, Caoimhe Delaney 1-0

Team: Ciara Kennedy; Sarah Cuddy, Annabelle Ryan, Ava Guilfoyle; Ella Cuddy, Leah Daly, Triona Chambers; Luisne Delaney, Leanne Dowling; Aoife Daly, Gráinne Delaney, Ali Cuddy; Andrea Scully, Tara Lowry, Caoimhe Delaney. Subs: Lucy Donnery for L Delaney (37 mins), Leah Rice for E Cuddy (46 mins), Louise Bergin for A Cuddy (53 mins), Lilly Russell for Lowry (60 mins), Eva Dowling for L Dowling (60 mins)

ST BRIGID’S

Scorers: Áiva Coss 1-2 (0-1 free), Eimear Hassett 0-4 frees, Emma Jane Coss and Enya Carroll 1-0 each

Team: Katie Phelan; Hannah Fitzpatrick, Ellen Meagher, Sophie Kelly; Kacey Carroll, Eva Carroll, Cesira Healy; Emma Jane Coss, Louise Creagh; Áiva Coss, Áine Costigan, Enya Carroll;  Hannah Maher, Gemma Hoare, Eimear Hassett. Subs: Niamh Bracken for K Carroll (37 mins), Katie Hanrahan for Maher (49 mins), Anna Wyne for E Carroll (49 mins)

REFEREE: Padraig Dunne (Colt)