Bunclody 2-1 Ferns 1-2

It was a fierce battle between near neighbours on Tuesday last when Bunclody met Ferns in the final of the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Rackard League Roinn B Camogie competition. Both teams were a credit to their mentors and displayed great skill and determination throughout a close encounter.

It was Ferns who started the better when they snatched a goal through Aine Byrne in the fourth minute. Bunclody responded with a goal of their own minutes later when Orla Bialko swept home a loose ball on the ground. A long range Aoife Mahon free then put them into the lead. As the game opened up, the chances began to appear at both ends but no one could get the scores they needed until Ferns’ Stacey Breen pointed a 65 to level affairs just before half time. The low scoring was a result of some fine displays of defensive play. Bunclody’s Aisling Dunne seemed to be a magnet for the ball and Ferns’ Stacey Breen and Saoirse Harris worked very well together.

The second half saw Bunclody really click into gear. They used a simple game plan of moving the ball hard and fast along the ground and this frustrated the Ferns team who could not get the ball into hand. It was this strategy that also produced the crucial goal. Aoife Mahon drove the ball into the forwards and this was doubled on skilfully by Rachael Kehoe who set up a smart finish for Rachael Murphy. Ferns pointed through an Aine Byrne free to bring the gap back to the dreaded two point lead.

Bunclody were unnerved however and in fact continued to push on to create chances. Aoife Mahon was denied a goal when Ferns goalie showed great skill to catch a low ball despite a strong sun in her eyes. Ferns had chances of their own too and the industrious Nadine Fortune never stopped troubling the Bunclody defence, but the Bunclody team as a whole determinedly and effectively shut them out with some great defensive play that started high up the field. Eilish O’Rourke and Rachael Kehoe were to the forefront of this huge defensive effort that would prove to be decisive in the end and overall it was a well deserved victory for the Bunclody and Kilmyshall girls.

Bunclody: Chloe Murphy, Aisling Dunne, Rebecca Murphy, Tracey Furlong, Yvonne Kelly, Eilish O’Rourke, Aoife Mahon, Lisa Kelly, Michaela Murphy, Rachael Kehoe, Rachael Murphy, Aoife Murphy, Orla Bialko, Megan O’Neill, Naomi Kavanagh, Laoise Kearney, Ella Keane, Christina Connors, Kate Cash, Caoimhe Murphy

Ferns: Shauna McClean, Meaghan Byrne, Stacey Breen, Caitriona O’Neill, Saoirse Harris, Aisling Crawte, Orla Fitzgerald, Chelsea O’Leary, Aine Byrne, Nadine Fortune, Leah O’Connor, Laura McDonald, Vanessa Furlong, Jola Szczesniak, Caoimhe Rame, Laura O’Sullivan, Roisin Scallan, Ellan Marie McLoughlin, Lisa Crawte, Emer Fitzgerald, Cait Byrne, Ellie Scallan, Niamh Murphy, Katie McGuire, Jessica Brennan, Ciara Kelly, Skve Turner