All Ireland glory for Saffrons junior camogs

Antrim 5-5, Armagh 0-14

GOALS were the order of the day in this Glen Dimplex All Ireland Premier Junior camogie final at Croke Park, not only those scored but those stopped by brilliant goal keeping and magnificent defensive work.
Four goals from Dervla Cosgrove including three in under 90 first-half seconds and three saves from Áine Graham were among the outstanding features in a game where the Saffrons finally got one up on their great Armagh rivals.
This was a remarkable end to an inaugural campaign for the county’s second string, finishing in glory at Croke Park less than a year after their flagship side secured senior status by winning the intermediate title.
This victory suggests that the Saffrons’ production line is in fine working order but Armagh will rue the failure to convert even one of their goal chances, while a catalogue of defensive calamities left Cosgrove in for some of the easiest goals she will ever register.
Former Cork star Jenny Curry was a real threat for Armagh but they could not provide her with sufficient quality supply and in the second half, Antrim made sure the eight-time All-Star was at least doubly attended.
Cosgrove earned the player-of-the-match plaudits and there could be no arguments about that with her three-goal salvo in under a minute and a half ultimately deciding the match, her fourth goal cementing the verdict.
It was last year’s minor captain, Fionnuala Kelly, that made the early impact though, after Armagh had begun confidently with points from Ellie McKee and a brilliant Ciara Donnelly strike.
The Ballycastle teenager, whose sister Maeve was player of the match in the Intermediate decider last year, split the posts to get the team, managed by Brian Kearney and Mark McFadden, off the mark and then found the net in the eighth minute following a move started by Anna McNeill.
When Cosgrove’s cross was partially cleard by Armagh 'kepoer Ciarrai Devlin, Kelly was in like a flash to bat to the net.
Curry, following a fantastic Donnelly delivery, and Rachael Merry settled Armagh with points but Cosgrove’s treble between the 21st and 23rd minutes blew the game apart and left Jim McKernan’s crew playing catch-up.
His defence had been marked absent too often in that period and the Antrim native, who was joint manager of last year’s successful Antrim intermediate team, made two substitutions that helped shore things up for the Orchard girls.
One sensed that the damage had been done and though Sinéád Quinn, Michelle McArdle and Donnelly (two) pointed, the Orchard women trailed by 4-3 to 0-9 at the interval.
It could have been very different but goalkeeping is clearly in the Graham genes as Áine, sister of senior net minder Caitrin, was extremely alert between the posts. Donnelly, after being set up by Curry, also rattled a shot off the butt of the upright.
Armagh gradually reassumed control in terms of play at least in the second half, and when Curry pointed in the seventeenth minute after a trademark flick, easy pick-up, side-step and finish, the margin was down to three.
Cosgrove’s close range finish after Devlin’s stupendous save from Nuala Devlin a minute later, followed by another Graham save from McArdle helped Antrim close it out.

Antrim: A Graham, M McLarnon, E Kearns, E McShane, C Crawford, M McGarry, S Cosgrove, C Kearney, A McNeill, O Laverty, C McNaughton, Bríd Magill, E Laverty, D Cosgrove (4-2), F Kelly (1-2).

Substitutions: N Devlin for O Laverty; Brónach Magill for S Cosgrove; E Leech (0-1) for McNaughton ; T O’Neill for Kelly.

Armagh: C Devlin, M Lenehan, N Woods, E O’Kane, G McCann, E Hayes, T Maguire, M McArdl (0-1), L Donnelly (0-1), C Doyle, C Donnelly (0-5), E McKee (0-1), R Merry (0-1), J Curry (0-2), S Quinn (0-1).

Substitutions: E Lavery for Lenehan, C O’Kane for Woods; B Murray for McKee; K Comiskey (0-1) for Merry; E Smyth (0-1) for Doyle

Referee: Mike Ryan (Tipperary)