Gavin's late strike secures minor B title for Turlough

Turloughmore 1-7Killimor 0-6

Eoghan Cormican at Duggan Park

JUST seven days after retaining their senior crown, Killimor’s hopes of securing more camogie silverware ended in bitter disappointment as Turloughmore struck a decisive late goal to claim the Minor B title at Duggan Park on Saturday.

Three of the Killimor team – Naomi Burke, Aisling Brehony and Denise Starr – were bidding to make it a week to remember having lined out in the 11-point success over Sarsfields and while centre-forward Starr, carried their threat for long passages, Turloughmore came good at the death to secure a fully merited four-point victory.

Having chased their opponents all afternoon, Killimor eventually gained parity on 52 minutes and were poised to complete the overtaking movement, but for a late Turlough surge that, ultimately, decided the outcome.

Turloughmore were worthy of the winners’ tag and were the better outfit for most of the hour, but lapses in concentration allowed Killimor back into the contest. The testing underfoot conditions made it difficult on both sets of players and while the game itself was by no means bursting with flair or indeed, proficiency, it lacked nothing by the way of honesty or commitment and kept supporters very much on the edge.

The winners were completely dominant in the opening quarter with the hugely impressive Louise Brennan finding the target on three occasions and added to a Michelle Dunleavy effort, Turlough were four to the good with their opponents finding it difficult to even work possession out of their own half, never mind registering a score.

Denise Starr opened Killimor’s account on 25 minutes, but Michelle Dunleavy quickly cancelled out the strike in posting an imminent Turloughmore response. Two further Killimor scores through Starr left Killimor only two arrears at the break, scarcely believable in the context of the opening half where Turloughmore really should have been out the gap.

The impressive Sinéad Fahy reduced the deficit to the minimum, 0-5 to 0-4, at the change of ends and, by this juncture, Turloughmore were being pinned down inside their own half with an excellent point from player of the match Ciara Burke providing only a brief respite.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.