Brilliant Laragh end 31-year wait

Senior camogie championship final

Laragh 3-12

Crosserlough 0-6

There can be no denying that Crosserlough owned the last decade of camogie in Cavan, winning seven of the nine championships played between 2012 and 2020. At the start of this year the six in a row chasing Crosserlough would have been installed as favourites again but the gap was clearly closing.

Laragh, who lost the 2018 and 2019 finals to Crosserlough, would have felt that they were the team that was going to end Crosserlough’s stranglehold but losing out in last year’s semi-final to Denn could have derailed the project.

The Stradone-based side, managed by Limerick native Darragh Madden, came into Saturday’s final in Kingspan Breffni determined to end a 31-year wait for the return of the senior title. The group stage win for Laragh over Crosserlough was no doubt a confidence-builder as it marked a first win for any of these Laragh ladies over Crosserlough in the Senior Championship.

Sinead McKenna opened the scoring for Crosserlough on the fourth minute after a jittery start by both sides. Laragh soon settled into the game lead by a well-taken point from dual star Niamh Keenaghan shooting into the town end of Kingspan Breffni.

On the 12th minute Laragh took the lead for the first time when the second of three Keenaghan sisters and captain of the side, Clodagh, split the posts from close range. Two minutes later, the third sister Aislinn gave Laragh a three-point lead after an impressive turnover by the hard working Katie Smith.

On the quarter hour mark, a free converted by Clodagh Keenaghan with that unique routine saw Laragh open a gap of three points. Crosserlough needed a response and midfielder Orla Smith sent a pass to the forward line before taking back the ball 25 metres from goal to send over the bar.

The final score before the water break came as Clodagh Keenaghan raised a white flag for Laragh at the end of a super run by youngster Sinead Levingstone. Laragh’s greater speed and athleticism was starting to show and they were making it count as they lead 0-5 to 0-2.

The first score of the second quarter was sent over by wing-forward Michelle O’Rourke from Laragh before the sky turned grey and dropped a shower of rain. Crosserlough responded with a Shannon Leddy point on the 23rd minute but most of the ball being sent into their forward line was coming back out such was the quality of the Laragh defense.

Laragh continued to pile on the pressure and a minute later with a bit of luck had the ball in the back of the Crosserlough net. Aislinn Keenaghan gathered the ball on the 20-metre line and as she swung for a score, a half-block changed the shot to a lobbing ball that fell into the net over the head of the advancing Annie Smith.

Laragh’s hunger and workrate was typified when Sinead Levingstone pinned and forced Lorna Cahill to over-carry the ball in the corner resulting in a free. From the 13-metre line and very close to the sideline, Clodagh Keenaghan sent over, opening a seven-point gap.

As the first-half injury time began, Laragh were keen to make every minute count and a point from Niamh Keenaghan kept their positive momentum. The final score of the half came two minutes into injury time as wing-back Aideen Coyle on approach to the 45-metre line swung over a monster to leave the score 1-9 to 0-3 in Laragh’s favour.

Fired up to finish the job, Laragh came out strong at the resumption of play. Mid-fielder Sinead Levingstone put through Aislinn Keenaghan inside 30 seconds for Keenaghan to bag her second goal, making the climb much steeper for Crosserlough to come back.

Two more points from Niamh Keenaghan were matched by points from Sinead McKenna and Orla Smith before the water break, leaving Laragh ahead 2-11 to 0-5. In the final quarter Crosserlough pushed to find a way through the Laragh defence for a much-needed goal but the best they could get was a single point from joint captain Aoishe O’Reilly.

Niamh Keenaghan crowned off an impressive display with her fifth point of the day on the 22nd minute. In injury time, the cherry on the icing on the cake was applied as Aoishe Reilly gathered a ball over the top of the Crosserlough defence before smashing to the back of the net.

At the final water break you could hear a call from one of the Laragh players to her team mates, “15 minutes’ work to end a 31-year wait”. The wait is over and Laragh are champions once again.

Laragh: Jenny O’Rourke, Eimear Cahill, Roisin O’Rourke, Grainne Cahill, Lorraine O’Rourke, Suzanne Cusack, Aideen Coyle (0-1), Niamh Keenaghan (0-5), Sinead Levingstone, Aoife Brady, Tina O’Reilly, Michelle O’Rourke (0-1), Katie Smith, Clodagh Keenaghan (0-4,2f), Aislinn Keenaghan (2-1)

Subs: Paula Tully for Aoife Brady, Megan Denning for Katie Smith, Aishling Sexton for Sinead Levingstone, Meghan NcKenna for Grainne Cahill, Aoishe Reilly(1-0) for Aislinn Keenaghan

Crosserlough: Annie Smith, Aine Finnegan, Lorna Cahill, Katelyn McGonnell, Ciara Shalvey, Erinn Galligan, Aoishe O’Reilly (0-1), Lauren Ellis, Orla Smith (0-2), Shannon Leddy (0-1), Christina Charters, Sinead McKenna (0-2,1f), Niamh Reilly, Hannah Boylan, Cara Reilly

Subs: Joanne Dowling for Shannon Leddy, Aine Smith for Niamh Reilly, Lorraine Day for Hannah Boylan, Erica Joyce for Cara Reilly.