St Brigid’s show nerves of steel to hold off O’Moore’s and reach Intermediate final

St Brigid's booked their place in the Intermediate county final on Saturday evening at Mountrath, surviving a late O'Moore's rally to clinch the result in injury-time.

St Brigid’s 2-11

O’Moore’s 2-9

Laois Intermediate Camogie Championship Semi-Final

This semi-final went right down to the wire, as O’Moore’s rallied late to leave nothing between them and St Brigid’s as we headed into injury-time. However, St Brigid’s showcased serious mettle to swing over the last two scores of the match and book a county final date.

Mary Keating opened the scoring in Mountrath for O’Moore’s after her shot was tipped over by St Brigid’s keeper Laura Dunne.

Tara Corrigan replied with a free for St Brigid’s, but O’Moore’s retook the lead thanks to Mary Keating connecting nicely with a 45’ and splitting the posts again.

St Brigid’s were beginning to come into the game more though, and they leveled through a Tara Corrigan 45’. They then went ahead for the first time, as fierce battling from Corrigan resulted in Eimear Guidera getting St Brigid’s first score from play.

Wing-back Danielle Healy flew up the field to level proceedings for O’Moore’s, and they were back in front when Mary Keating converted her second free of the game.

That would be O’Moore’s last score of the half though, as St Brigid’s hit three on the trot. Grainne Hyland, Aisling O’Dea and Clodagh Tynan all raised white flags to bring St Brigid’s ahead on a score of 0-6 to 0-4.

St Brigid’s continued where they left off at the start of the second-half as well. Two sweet points from frees by Corrigan and one from Laura Finlay meant St Brigid’s were in the driving seat with a five point advantage.

Keating ended O’Moore’s scoring drought, as she fired over a free she earned herself, but it seemed that the result was beyond O’Moore’s when St Brigid’s struck for a brace of goals.

Niamh Coss scored the two St Brigid’s goals, and she showed her predatory instincts on both occasions. For the first one, she pounced for the rebound after Laura Finlay’s initial effort was palmed away by O’Moore’s goalkeeper Becky Williams.

The second goal appeared as a surprise. St Brigid’s midfielder Jessie Quinlan’s original long ball looked to have gone dead, but Coss just about got a touch to it before it went out and the sliotar bundled into the O’Moore’s net again.

Credit to O’Moore’s and in particular Keating for their reaction to this setback though, as they showed spirit to come back from nowhere.

Keating nailed a free before the talented forward hit the back of the St Brigid’s net with a shot too powerful for Laura Dunne in goals.

The same player, Keating, put over two more points for O’Moore’s, one from play and the other a free, as the gap was back to three for O’Moore’s.

Grainne Hyland settled the storm a little bit for St Brigid’s, as she struck over from close-range, but Joyce Dunne delivered a goal for O’Moore’s shortly after.

Laura Marie Maher made it a level game, and it looked like O’Moore’s had the momentum to snatch the victory, However, St Brigid’s held their nerve, with Corrigan and Jessie Quinlan points edging them through to the final. 

ST BRIGID'S

Scorers: Niamh Coss 2-0, Tara Corrigan 0-4 (0-3 frees, 0-1 45') Laura Finlay and Grainne Hyland 0-2 each, Eimear Guidera, Clodagh Tynan and Aisling O'Dea 0-1 each.

Team: Laura Dunne; Emily Carroll, Roisin Kilmartin, Amy Quinlan; Danielle Healy, Clodagh Tynan, Sarah Creagh; Eimear Guidera, Laura Finlay; Tiegan O'Reilly Bowe, Shona Jones, Aisling O'Dea; Grainne Hyland, Niamh Coss, Tara Corrigan. Subs: Jessie Quinlan for E Carroll (half-time), Gemma Hoare for Bowe (47 mins).

O'MOORE'S

Scorers: Mary Keating 1-7 (0-4 frees, 0-1 45'), Joyce Dunne 1-0, Laura Marie Maher and Danielle Healy 0-1 each.

Team: Becky Williams; Lynn O'Callaghan, Jenny McEvoy (C), Liadan C Fennell; Aisling Bohane, Alison McEvoy, Rachel Williams; Joyce Dunne, Caoimhe Callaly; Laura Peake, Rosemarie Bermingham, Laura Marie Maher; Amy Loughman, Mary Keating, Niamh Gleeson. Subs: Casey Conroy for Callaly (20 mins), Meaghan Dunne for Boyhan (40 mins), Aileen O’Loughlin for Gleeson (44 mins), Aoife Hyland for O'Callaghan (52 mins).

REFEREE: Brochan O'Reilly (Portlaoise)