Late surge lands first Leinster Camogie title for Offaly school

Killina Presentation Secondary School won their first ever Leinster Camogie title on Saturday with a strong last quarter performance to win the Leinster Senior “D” camogie title.

Killina Presentation Secondary School 3-6
St. Finian’s College, Mullingar 1-10

Despite trailing by four points at the second water break, the Killina girls rallied to outscore their opponents by 1-4 to 0-1 in the last fifteen to claim the title against St. Finians’ College, Mullingar in Raharney GAA field.

St Finian’s started the brighter and points from Holly Dowdall, Niamh Keogh and Alexandra Elaurza had the Westmeath school three points up after just 5 minutes.

Killina settled and great work from Lauren Leonard saw a chance fall to Ciara Wyer which was brilliantly stopped on the line by Emma Dagg in the St Finians goal.

Further points from Sarah Downes and a free from Niamh Keogh saw Finians’ lead 0-5 to 0-0 at the first water break.

Killina upped the tempo after the interval and great work from Becky Watkins, Lauren Leonard and Niamh O’Connell saw the ball break to Emma Buggy to finish to the net. 

Dowdall and Keogh responded with two more points for Finians, but a Saorah Doyle free after she herself was fouled cut the deficit to three again.

Lauren Leonard (Killina) is tackled by Eva Coghlan (St. Finian's)

Killina were beginning to win more battles at this stage, and when the ball broke from a ruck of players, Emma Buggy fed Sarah Dillon who rounded the corner back before drilling the sliotar to the back of the net.

Yet again St Finians responded to Killina’s goal with two more points from the impressive Holly Dowdall leaving the halftime score St Finian’s 0-9, Killina 2-1.

The second half was a tough, tense affair with the work rate of both teams increasing, and scores hard to come by.

Great defending from Killina kept St Finians at bay until a long ball broke to full forward Sarah Downes who pulled first time into the corner of the Killina net.

Rachel Dillon responded with a Killina point just before the second water break to leave it 1-9 to 2-2 with fifteen minutes to go.

The final quarter saw Killina completely take over the game with Ava Dolan and Rachel Dillon controlling midfield and sustained pressure mounting on the Finians goal.

Becky Watkins (Killina) breaks clear from Hannah Kellehgahan (St Finian's)

Rachel Dillon fired over two points to half the deficit and when substitute Sarah Costello sent a dangerous ball across the Finians goal, Ciara Wyer pulled first time to bury the sliotar in the bottom corner and give Killina the lead for the first time in the game.

A nice piece of interplay between Saorah Doyle and Sarah Dillon saw the latter point to extend the Killina lead but a Niamh Keogh free reduced the lead to the minimum as the game entered the final stages.

Finians pushed forward in search of an equaliser but it was Killina captain Rachel Dillon who fired over her fourth point of the second half to seal the victory for the Offaly girls by 3-6 to 1-10.

Killina now face the Connacht Champions in 2 weeks’ time in an All-Ireland Senior Semi-Final while both Killina and St Finians will do battle again next Saturday in the Junior Leinster Final.

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Scorers: 

Killina: Rachel Dillon (0-4), Sarah Dillon (1-1), Ciara Wyer, Emma Buggy (1-0 each), Saorah Doyle 0-1, 1f)

St. Finian’s: Holly Dowdall (0-4), Niamh Keogh (0-4, 2f), Sarah Downes (1-1), Alexandra Elaurza (0-1)

Teams

Killina: Sarah O’Rourke (Tullamore), Kaithlynn Spain (Shamrocks), Sarah Doherty (K/K), Julie Kelly (Tullamore), Ava Dolan (Shamrocks), Chloe Buggy (Tullamore), Katie O’Rourke (Tullamore), Becky Watkins (K/K), Sarah Dillon (St. Sinchill’s), Emma Buggy (Tullamore), Rachel Dillon (St. Sinchill’s), Saorah Doyle (K/K), Niamh O’Connell (Tullamore), Lauren Leonard (K/K), Ciara Wyer (Ballinamere)

Subs: Jane Maher (Tullamore for Katie O’Rourke, Sarah Costello (K/K) for Niamh O’Connell

St. Finian’s: Emma Dagg, Hannah Kelleghan, Rachel L’Estrange, Hazel Loughrey, Machaela Murphy, Eva Coghlan, Reanna Kennedy, Darian Coracoran, Kristabella Tamosiunaite, Roisin Killian, Holly Dowdall, Alexandra Elaurza, Niamh Keogh, Sarah Downes, Anya Boyle.

Referee Barry Nea (An Iarmhí)