By Joe Kennefick:
Eire Og 2-6
Ballygarvan: 1-7
Eire Og had a very hard fought two point victory over Ballygarvan in the final of the Evening Echo sponsored Cork County Minor B Camogie Final.
Played yesterday at the Camogie grounds in Mahon, a biting wind made this a game of both halves, but at the end, the girls of Eire Og had two points to spare after a thrilling finale.
Eire Og led by six points at the interval after playing with a gale force wind, and when Aoife McCarthy goaled early in the second half to put them nine points ahead, they looked the likely winners. However, Ballygarvan dominated the remainder of the game, but could not get the scores they needed.
Ballygarvan had the perfect start against the wind and led by 0-2 to 0-0 after three minutes, the scores coming from Rachel Keohane, who could easily have goaled, and a Lorraine Browne free.
Eire Og gradually found their feet though, and could have had two goals before Elaine Scally found the net in the seventh minute, after a free from Rosin Murray dropped into the goalmouth.
Claire Meaney showed her class, as she hit four points from play, while Scally pointed a free to leave the half time score 1-5 to 0-2 to the girls from Ovens.
Ballygarvan, with the wind at their backs were rocked in the 33rd minute when McCarthy goaled. However, they put in a tremendous last twenty minutes. Hard working midfielder Maeve Moynihan, started the recovery with a point in the 36th minute. Lorraine Browne then pointed two frees to narrow the gap to six points.
Eire Og were defending desperately at this stage, but in goalkeeper Marie Gleeson and backs Aoife Hennessy and Kattie McCarthy, they repelled attack after attack.
Rebecca Murphy thundered into the game, and she goaled in the 51st minute, and had two further points, while Aoife McCarthy replied for Eire Og.
With the game in the balance, Ballygarvan threw everything at the winners, but time ran out and Eire Og held on to be champions.
Scorers: Eire Og: E Scally 1-1(1f), C Meaney 0-4, A McCarthy 1-1.
Ballygarvan: R Murphy1-2, L Browne 0-3(3f), R Keohane 0-1, M Moynihan 0-1.
EIRE OG: M Gleeson: M Cockery, A Hennessy, S Hutchinson; C O’Keeffe, K McCarthy, O Meaney: C Meaney, O Boyle; E Crowley, R Murray, M E Desmond; A Murphy, A McCarthy, E Scally.
BALLYGARVAN: M E O’Donovan, K O’Donovan, L O’Callaghan, L Kennefick; A Keohane, L Browne, A Walsh: M Moynihan, C Murphy; K O’Sullivan, R Murphy, A Byrne; S Quilligan, R Keohane, A Walsh. Subs: C O’Sullivan foe A Walsh (48).
Referee: John O’Leary ( Mallow
