Maguire's goal inspires Clane to intermediate final glory
Clane were crowned the 360 Intermediate Camogie champions after a win over St Laurences Photo: Austin Crowe
A second half scoring burst of a goal and two points inside three minutes secured the title as 360 Intermediate Champions for Clane.
In an evenly matched opening half with most of the hurling done around the middle of the park, Clane got the best of the opening stages. Pointing inside the opening three minutes they quickly found the lead after Grania Martin made the most of the space she found herself in on the right. Doubling their advantage a minute later, Martin repeated her earlier effort to the same result.
Refusing to let up on St Laurence’s, Clane pushed forward once more and a third point of the afternoon from Meabh Maguire looked to send the home side into a healthy three point advantage as St Laurence’s appeared to struggle with the pace that Clane brought to the tie.
Unfazed by this, a long ball into the heart of the St Laurence’s full forward line found the advancing Deirbhile Byrne. Scooping possession and turning on her left. The pint sized forward jinked her way through three Clane defenders. Turning right and left before going right once more. Byrne was face to face with Shannon Lynch. With little mercy Byrne unleashed a rasping strike and rose the green flag to level matters.
A Maguire free again looked to edge the home side into a narrow advantage once more, but this was short lived as Megan Alcock responded with five minutes of the opening half remaining to again level mattes before Byrne burst from her new position in the middle of the park to extend her days tally as she sent St Laurence’s into the lead for the first time with three minutes of the opening half remaining.
Following the restart it was again each sides respective defences that shone brightest as both sides were thwarted on a number of occasions with stalwart Melanie Tracey more than proving her worth, clearing at least eight sure scores in the opening ten minutes.
It wasn’t until the twelfth minute that Caoilfhionn Hallissy was able to register a score for her side. A long range free from Roisin Maguire this time sent into the left of goal to prevent Tracey getting to the sliotar first. With Hallissy gathering she chipped over to level matters for a third time in the tie.
With this Clane had a renewed sense of life and began to break forward once more. A long ball from Hallissy into the waiting Maguire looked to be cleared by Treacy before the small square became a melee of bodies. Acquiring herself valiantly Tracey put her body between the sliotar and goal, proving not enough on this occasion, Maguire found a way through and Clane there three clear. Further points from Maguire and a forty five from Caoimhe Maddock quickly had St Laurence’s trailing by five within three minutes of action.
A late Melissa O’Neill point five minutes from time looked to spark a St Laurence’s revival but this wasn’t to be the case as Clane again brought play to the opposite end of the field and with Maddock adding a second forty five of the day and a point from play there was six between the sides as stoppage time began. With St Laurence’s unable to find what they needed to upset Clane, and only mustering a late Byrne free, the home side held on to claim the title as 360 Intermediate Camogie Champions.
