U14 Roinn A championship 1/4 Final

U14 Roinn A championship 1/4 Final

Carrickshock 1-08 Piltown 0-09

by Jason O’Brien, Piltown PRO

Goals win games is an age old saying , and when you score it deep in added time it’s becomes truth as Carrickshock grabbed a victory from the jaws of defeat in Hugginstown on a dull overcast Wednesday evening.

In front of a good crowd, there wasn’t much scoring , but it was an end to end game as play swung to and fro throughout the 60  something minutes played.

The visitors struck first as Grace Farrell  put her first free over the bar in the 2nd minute, Amy O’Shea did the same for the home side in the 5th minute , as it was clear from the start that there wasn’t going to be much between these two evenly matched teams.

There was danger in all lines of both sides as Amy and Katie O’Shea were battling with Ruby Norris and Kate Anthony, Hannah Tennyson on Rachel Coady and Saoirse Barry on Ivana Cahill.

It was score for score as we reached half time , Amy O’Shea and Grace Farrell on 3 frees each. Low on scores maybe, but no way was it low on effort and intensity.

Maurice Flynn started the second half, and we had a new scorer as  Katie O’Shea got her name on the scoresheet with a well taken score in the 34th minute, back came Piltown and Grace Farrell again as she grabbed a point from play. Then a crucial moment in the game as referee Flynn awarded a penalty for   a Piltown player being dragged down, no doubt about it, and no doubt who was going to take it.

Up stepped Grace Farrell , with the ball on the 21, she stood, rose, struck and arrowed the sliotar towards the left hand side of the goal, but Shocks keeper Grainne O’Shea brilliantly saved it and scooped the ball away. What a moment!

Farrell and O’Shea traded points in minutes 43 , 44 , 45 and 49 to leave the score at 7 points each in the 56th minute.

It was frantic, as both sides tried to grab the winning point, no one wanted to make a mistake at this crucial time of the game. Would extra time be needed? Maybe not , because in the 58th minute Grace had ice in her veins as she calmly stuck her 6th free of the game over the bar and Piltown were back in front.  Amy O’Shea had similar ice in her veins as she replied and levelled the game with her 5th free in the 59th minute.

It really was fever pitch now as we wondered about the fast fading light and the prospect of extra time, but before that thought had passed through our minds Grace Farrell burst down the pitch in the 60th minute , took aim and launched the sliotar over the bar from 30yrds. Was that it ? Sure it must be !

Goals win games though, and as Amy O’Shea got the ball in hand on the 21, turned inside, it looked like it was going to be level again, but Amy thought differently, and sent a rasper towards the goal, it went just to the left of Rachel Tennyson’s raised hurley , and under the crossbar. And as it hit the net there were celebrations on the pitch. As Rachel pucked it back out, the refs final whistle went to end a pulsating second half.

Final score in Hugginstown

Carrickshock Camogie Club 1-08   Piltown 0-09

Scorers – Carrickshock – Amy O’Shea 1-07 (5 frees), Katie O’Shea 0-01

Piltown – Grace Farrell 0-09 (5 frees)