Camógs off to a flyer against Wicklow

All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie Championship

Cavan 7-20

Wicklow 1-9

High in the Wicklow mountains covered in glorious Saturday evening sunshine, Cavan camógs got their All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship up and running with a 29-point win in Avondale. The victory was in the bag at half-time but when Cavan increased their performance in the second half, the difference in quality became more evident.

Two early points from Roisin O’Keeffe and Sinead McKenna got the scoreboard ticking before an Aoife Keedy ‘45 gave Wicklow their opening score. After missing their first chance of a goal, Cavan’s Hannah Fitzsimons took the second one with O’Keeffe assisting. A long-range point from open play by McKenna saw the visitors open a five-point lead after six minutes.

Wicklow replied on the seventh minute when wing-forward Faye Corrigan broke through the Cavan defence and smashed to the back of the net. Aoife Keedy followed up with her second point from the Cavan puck-out to leave the minimum between the sides.

O’Keeffe and Keedy traded points before Cavan hit a short but potent purple patch. Joanne Dowling split the posts on the 11th minute before O’Keeffe set up Joanne Moore for a well-taken goal a minute later. Inside 90 seconds Cavan hit the back of the Wicklow net for a third time with Dowlng finishing off a well-worked team move.

With the second quarter beginning, Wicklow weren’t letting Cavan get too much of a run on them and replied with two more points from centre-forward Tyrrell. White flags by Clodagh Keenaghan and Faye Corrigan at either end of the field meant Cavan lead by six points with nine minutes remaining in the half.

When McKenna found Clodagh Keenaghan with a well-placed pass, she sent over her second point in as many minutes. With four minutes remaining in the half, Roisin O’Keeffe picked out Sinead McKenna close to goals and when she drew in the Wicklow defence, she slipped a pass to Joanne Dowling who hit the net for Cavan’s fourth major.

Before the short whistle sounded, a 50-metre free sent over by Aoife Keedy briefly halted Cavan’s march but Clodagh Keenaghan sent over the final score of the half to give the girls in blue a 10-point lead at the break.

Cavan came out in the second half with a ruthless mindset as they pinned the Garden County girls into their own half for long spells. There was an element of good luck in Cavan’s fifth goal when Hannah Fitzsimons’ shot dropped short but a fumble by Caitlin Hughes in the Wicklow goal saw the green flag raised after less than 60 seconds.

Cavan’s full-back line had very little to do in the following seven minutes as Cavan ran off five more points without a Wicklow reply. Sinead McKenna hit her third of the evening before Joanne Moore extended Cavan’s lead to 13 points two minutes later.

Further points from Keenaghan sisters Clodagh and Niamh along with another O’Keeffe point pushed Philip Brady’s side almost out of sight. On the 11th minute of the second half Katie Tyrrell converted a free for the home side to break up a run of 12 Cavan scores.

After Roisin O’Keeffe’s fourth point of the game, half-time sub Shanise Fitzsimons tapped a clever pass into Niamh Keenaghan in front of the Wicklow goal and Laragh native finished Cavan’s sixth goal. With Cavan in complete control in the middle third of the field they tagged on a fourth McKenna point as the final quarter got under way.

Shanise Fitzsimons hit two points on the 17th and 20th minutes of the second half and a first converted free for Cavan sent over by Clodagh Keenaghan ensured that they would come away with the spoils. Such was Cavan’s second half dominance that Wicklow only managed to register two points in the 32 minutes played with Katie Tyrrell’s 27th minute free their last score.

From the resulting puck-out, Cavan worked the ball to Niamh Keenaghan who rattled the Wicklow net for the seventh time. As the game entered injury-time Clodagh Keenaghan added two more points for Cavan to bring her total for the day to seven before the final whistle sounded.

Cavan must now wait until June 24 for their next game when they’ll face Tipperary in a home game which will most likely decide who tops the group.

Cavan: Emma Mulvaney, Nomonda Majola, Aideen Coyle, Lorraine O’Rourke, Josephine Maguire, Rosie Crowe McKeever, Alannah Tierney, Niamh Keenaghan (2-1), Hannah Fitzsimons (2-0), Ana Sheanon, Joanne Moore (1-1), Clodagh Keenaghan (0-7, 2f), Sinead McKenna (0-4), Roisin O’Keeffe (0-4), Joanne Dowling (2-1)

Subs: Shanise Fitzsimons (0-2) for A Sheanon, Erinn Galligan for N Majola, Tina O’Reilly for A Coyle.

Wicklow: Caitlin Hughes, Casey Kelly, Thea Cullen, Alice Mulhall, Aoife Connolly, Jade Byrne, Maire Deegan, Aoife Keddy (0-4,2f), Sarah Lambe, Faye Corrigan (1-1), Katie Tyrrell (0-4,2f,1’45), Poppie Rose Cullen, Daisie Summer Cullen Dunne, Holly Arthur, Emma Byrne.