St Patrick’s Maghera and Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig into All-Ireland camogie final

St Patrick’s Maghera 1-12 Loreto Kilkenny 1-5 

A new name will go on Gorn Gobnait this year after wins for St Patrick’s Maghera and Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig in the Allianz All-Ireland Junior A semi-finals.

The big shock was in Swatragh today where St Patrick’s Maghera avenged defeat in last year’s decider by 11-time champions Loreto Kilkenny. The Derry school got off to the perfect start with a goal from Orlaith Johnston in the first minute and were never headed during the game.

They took a 1-3 to 0-1 lead after 11 minutes before hitting a scoreless patch that lasted 15 minutes. During that period Loreto hit back with two pointed frees from Shannon Doheny and then, in the 25th minute, a 45 from the same player was deflected to the Maghera net.

The teams were on level terms for just 60 seconds however, as points from Mary Therese McCullagh and an Emma Quinn free put Maghera in at the break with a 1-5 to 1-3 lead.

Maghera stretched their lead before the 40th minute with three points, all from Quinn frees. Then similar to the first half there was a lull in scoring before they picked up the baton once more with four unanswered points in the last quarter – two Quinn frees and one each from Róisín McAtamney and Aoibh Mulholland.

Loreto’s only scores of the half came in injury time, both from Muireann Kenny.

Meanwhile in Craughwell on Thursday, despite two goals from full-forward Molly Noone, Presentation Athenry lost to Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig who have reached the final for the first time.

The damage was done before the break with goals from Sarah Glavin and Leah Hannigan in the first 15 minutes helped the visitors build up an interval lead of 2-6 to 1-3, the Athenry goal scored by Dunne.

Early in the second half Isobel Whyte closed the gap with a goal, but Hannigan hit the net for the second time in the 44th minute to make it 3-9 to 2-5.

Presentation closed the gap during the last quarter with a second goal from Molly Dunne, but time ran out and Coláiste Choilm were through to the final on Saturday March 2nd.

Maghera and Ballincollig met 13 years ago in a semi-final with the Ulster champions winning by 3-5 to 1-5 before losing the final to Loreto Kilkenny.

Scorers for St Patrick’s: O Johnston 1-0, E Quinn 0-6 frees, R McAtamney and MT McCullagh 0-2 each, A McFaul and A Mulholland 0-1 each.

Loreto: S Doheny 1-2 frees, M Kenny 0-2, E Doheny 0-1 

Coláiste Choilm: L Hannigan 2-3, R Murphy 0-5, 0-3 frees, S Galvin 1-0, C Roche 0-2.

Presentation: M Noone 2-0, I Whyte 1-0, C Burke 0-5, 4 frees, A Conway and K Walsh 0-1 each