Kilbrittain-Timoleague 2-06 Tracton 1-04

Saturday March 28th - Premier Junior Camogie League

For all images from the match see Match Photos here >

Kilbrittain-Timoleague's Premier Junior Camogie players welcomed Tracton to the Kilbrittain Community Pitch, this past Saturday March 28th, for a late afternoon throw-in, at 3.30pm. The match would later be abandoned with seven odd minutes to play after Lauren McCarthy of Tracton went down on the pitch with a concussion and an ambulance had to be called. While Kilbrittain-Timoleague were ahead 2-06 to 1-04 the score won't stand and the match will have to be replayed at another date.

Kilbrittain's Michaela Holland and Laura Sheehy move to block Tracton's Rachel Walsh. Both teams went at it from the get go, in this the first match of the Premier Junior League. Tracton, however, were the first to get some traction in front of goal, with the aforementioned McCarthy, starting well at left wing-forward, rattling the top right hand corner of the net with seven minutes gone. They could've had a second minutes later when their full forward charged for goal, but Kilbrittain-Timoleague's goalkeeper Clodagh Ahern was primed and pulled off an excellent save at point blank range to prevent a larger early deficit.

Kilbrittain's goalkeeper Clodagh Ahern moves to puck the ball out early in the first half. Both sides were battling hard around midfield with Aoife O'Mahony and the Sexton sisters Hannah and Ellen doing well to win possession and fire up into the forward line. Anna Crowley of the village found herself with the ball moments later and she offloaded to Michaela Holland who made a promising run into space and fired KT's first point through the uprights. But Tracton had their own good midfield pairing in Eilish McGuinness and Ali Bell who collaborated well around mid-field, with both also fielding some great sidelines.

Tracton's Aoibhínn Kidney moves to hook Kilbrittain-Timoleague's Hannah Sexton as she charges past. Amy O'Sullivan of Knockbrown followed for the homeside with another point from a tight angle as she ran towards the corner before Tracton replied down the other end. The visitors were ever eager and pushing into Kilbrittain-Timoleague territory but the fullback line and halfback line were doing well to keep the visitors pushed out. Jess Ryan, Julie Sheehy and Clíona Keohane were finding a lot of ball coming their way and did well to make space when they needed to to get the ball out. Another black and amber doing well around midfield was Ellen Murphy. With a knack for winning ball in tight spaces she read the game well being first to many a ball, Tracton had a lot to do to keep tabs on her.

Ellen Murphy breaks through midfield, ball in hand. When the next ball found Crowley in the half forward line she made no mistake and rifled it over the bar for the side's third point of the day, now trailing Tracton by a point. As both sides rounded out the first quarter, Laura Sheehy, Kilbrittain-Timoleague's center-forward, was getting stuck-in, attacking ball around the half forward line and when she found herself in possession moments later, after a neat set piece of sorts between the forwards, she ran at the goal. Facing down Tracton's wing back, Kellie McCarthy, who put her body on the line, Sheehy struck with strength and the ball flew past the goalkeeper into the back of the net and so the scoreboard flipped, Kilbrittain-Timoleague now 1-03 to 1-01. Tracton bravely chanced a point in reply down the other end, but it skimmed the uprights and veered wide.

Kilbrittain-Timoleague's Laura Sheehy strikes for goal. Tracton rallied though with sister's Orla and Shauna Dempsey linking up well in the forward line and just before the referee blew for half-time the ladies from the east pinned another point to their tally via a well aimed strike by McGuinness, narrowing the gap between the sides to 1-03 to 1-02 at the break. HALFTIME: Kilbrittain-Timoleague 1-03 to Tracton 1-02 As the second half sprung into action the tempo also raised. When Tracton's Megan Fahy, newly on for the second half, joined forces with twin, Anna, in the forward line, they made shapes against Kilbrittain-Timoleague's backs. But it was the black and amber's forward Crowley who was first to get the scoring underway when she sent the next point over the bar for the homeside. Then, her teammate, midfielder Ellen Murphy, made strides through the half forward line to get the ball to O'Sullivan in front of goal. O'Sullivan backed herself and slapped Kilbrittain-Timoleague's second goal into the back of the Tracton net to put them up, 2-04 to 1-02.

Kilbrittain-Timoleague's Anna Crowley reaches to rob possession from Tracton.

Minutes later, Kate O'Neill teamed up well with right wing-forward, Holland, who was busy menacing her Tracton marks. They tested the Tracton full back line, yards from goal but the to be fair to the ladies in red and green stripes, they defended well, sister's Laura and Kellie Murphy, strong throughout. When Tracton won a free down the other end, Aoibhínn Kidney, Tracton's free taker, pointed over confidently, keeping the pressure on.

Kilbrittain-Timoleague's Laoise O'Driscoll secures possession.

However, Kilbrittain-Timoleague's Sheehy was ever vigilent for loose ball and collecting the next she sent the team's fifth point over the bar with a classy flourish. With fifteen odd minutes left on the clock Tracton made another push and succeeded in getting another point before Granreigh native, Holland ran up the right hand side and backing herself, sent Kilbrittain-Timoleague's sixth point soaring over the bar.

Tracton's goalkeeper Clara O'Sullivan lets fly for a puck out in the second half.

At this point Kilbrittain were cruising but Tracton to their credit, were ever hot on their heels. Possession was hard fought for and an accidental clash, in the heat of battle, saw the game slow to a halt as the match entered the final ten minutes. Given the game had to be abandoned, it's expected that the match will be replayed soon, in the meantime we wish the best to the Tracton's McCarthy who was injured, no doubt they'll be back in action soon. Kilbrittain Scorers: A.O'Sullivan (1-01), L.Sheehy (1-01), A.Crowley (0-2), M.Holland (0-02) Kilbrittain Team: Clodagh Ahern, Jess Ryan, Julie Sheehy, Cliona Keohane, Laoise O'Driscoll, Hannah Sexton, Ellen Sexton, Aoife O'Mahony, Ellen Murphy, Michaela Holland, Laura Sheehy, Lorraine Dineen, Anna Crowley, Kate O'Neill and Amy O'Sullivan. Tracton Scorers: L.McCarthy (1-0), A. Kidney (0-01)(0-01F), E.McGuinness (0-01), Tracton Team: Clara O’Sullivan, Karen Lynch, Chloe Castleton, Kellie McCarthy (Sub: Sarah Lynch(inj)), Laura Murphy, Kellie Murphy, Rachel Walsh (Sub: Rachel Walsh 30'), Alison Bell, Eilish McGuinness, Orla Dempsey, Anna Fahy, Lauren McCarthy, Emily Murphy, Aobhinn Kidney, Shauna Dempsey (Sub: Megan Fahy 30'),, Louise Quinn, Amy Cummins, Sarah Lynch, Megan Fahy and Aisling Lowney.