Camogie: Sarsfields make it three wins from three in Group A

Senior A Championship

Mullagh 2-15

Davitts 2-10

Mullagh and Davitts played out an exciting encounter under lights in Ballinasloe on Friday evening.

It was Davitts who started the brightest with a well taken goal from Aisling Donnellan on the 4th minute and a point from Allanah Kelly. Mullagh hit back however with 1-4 without reply, which included 1-2 from 2025 player of the year Aoife Donohue and two Tegan Canning frees to see Mullagh go into a three point lead by the 13th minute.

Catherine Hanley got her first free of the day a minute later, but Mullagh landed another big blow when scoring 1-3 without reply, as a second goal from Donohue and three frees from Canning saw them take a 2-7 to 1-2 lead by the 24th minute.

Davitts did finish the half the strongest however, with two Hanley frees, a point from Claire Blake and a second goal from Donnellan while Emma Winters pointed for Mullagh before the break to leave it 2-8 to 2-5 in favour of Mullagh.

Mullagh opened the scoring in the second-half with a point from Pearl Finnerty. A Hanley free and a point from Blake left two between the sides with 40 minutes gone in the half. Mullagh started to get a grip on the game with three unanswered points from Donohue, Canning through a free, and Katie Manning. The sides matched each other with three points each at the finish. Lorraine Farrell pointed two frees and Kenny got her second point of the day for Davitts while Canning slotted over two more points for Mullagh and Amy King got her name on the scoresheet too.

Sarsfields 1-19

Oranmore/Maree 0-11

It was nip-and-tuck between the two sides in the opening half with both sides going in deadlocked at the break in St Brendan’s Park Loughrea.

It was Oranmore/who started well with three of the opening four scores. Two Ailish O’Reilly frees and a point from Rachael Hanniffy either side of a Caoimhe Kelly point saw Oranmore/Maree go into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after five minutes.

Siobhán McGrath reduced the deficit a minute later with a well-taken score but Oranmore/Maree replied again with two Niamh Farrell points and one from O’Reilly to leave four between the sides.

Orlaith McGrath made her return to club action having missed out on the opening two games and she got her first point on the 11th minute. Hanniffy and Roisin Black, with a long-range free, added two more scores to Oranmore/Maree’s tally either side of a Siobhán McGrath free to leave it 0-8 to 0-4 after 18 minutes.

Sarsfields hit three without reply, two from Siobhán McGrath (0-1F) and one from Kelly to bring it back to a one point ball game. Oranmore Maree almost got through for goal on the 24th minute but Grace Tarpey struck the ball over the bar. Siobhán McGrath pointed three more points before the end of the half, two through placed balls, while O’Reilly pointed another free as the sides went in 0-10 apiece at half-time.

It was all Sarsfields in the second half as they held Oranmore Maree scoreless for 27 minutes. Points from Orlaith McGrath, Sarah Spellman, Klara Donohue, Siobhán McGrath, and Niamh McGrath, and a goal from substitute Shannon Corcoran saw Sarsfields take a 1-15 to 0-10 lead by the 49th minute.

Hanniffy got Oranmore/Maree's only score of the half on the 27th minute with a point from play but it was Sarsfields who finished out the game the strongest with points from Siobhán McGrath (0-2, 0-1F), Donohue and Corcoran as Sarsfields ran out eight point winners on the day.

Shamrocks 1-13

Ardrahan 2-10

Shamrocks and Ardrahan had to share the spoils in St Brendan’s Park in Loughrea as they played out a draw in very exciting encounter throughout.

Ardrahan got off to a flying start with three Kate Devereux frees and a point from Cara Giblin to leave the 0-4 to 0-0 ahead after nine minutes. Shamrocks began to take a hold on the game for the next few minutes scoring 1-4 without reply. Two Emily Lawless points, two Niamh McInerney points and a goal from Caoline Lawless saw them take a three point lead by the 22nd minute.

Giblin hit back with 1-1 without reply two minutes after the goal and she helped in restoring Ardrahan’s lead. Katie Donohue and McInerney hit back before the break slotting a point over each, either side of point from Andrea Mullins for Ardrahan as the sides went in deadlocked at 1-6 a piece heading into the break.

Two quick-fire frees from Deverux at the start of the second-half saw Ardrahan restore a two point advantage. Shamrocks began to take control of the game again with two Katie Gilchrist points and a point a piece from Donohue and Emily Lawless to leave them 1-10 to 1-8 in front at the midway point of the half.

Gilchrist through a free and Sarah Devine swapped scores with Giblin (0-2F) by the 24th minute to still leave two between the sides. Ava Lynskey got through on the 26th minute for a goal for Ardrhan but a free from Gilchirst in injury-time meant the sides finished deadlocked.

Athenry 1-17

Clarinbridge 0-13

Athenry recorded their second victory in the Senior A Championship on Saturday in Kilbeacanty after they had a tough and physical battle with Clarinbridge.

Two Carrie Dolan frees in the opening five minutes had the Bridge into an early lead but Sabina Rabbitte, who returned from injury for her first game of the championship, opened Athenry’s account on the 7th minute with a well-taken score from play. Dolan and Niamh Niland extended Clarinbridge’s lead by the 9th minute but Athenry responded well with five points without reply.

Points from Kerri O’Driscoll, Eva McGlynn, and Eimear Keane, and two Clodagh Burke frees, saw Athenry head into the lead by the 25th minute. Clarinbridge almost got in for a goal in the 23rd minute but Laura Freeney pulled off a great save to keep her goal intact.

Two more Dolan frees and a point from Niland saw Clarinbridge restore their lead by the 31st minute, and Freeney had to be alert in the Athenry net as she pulled off another great save before the break.

But it was Athenry who had the final say of the half. A cross-field ball from McGlynn found Keane and Keane took on the Clarinbridge defence and blasted the ball into the back of the net to give Athenry a 1-6 to 0-7 lead heading into the break.

Athenry started the half the brightest with two Burke frees and a point from McGlynn in the opening five minutes of the half. Dolan replied with a 45 for Clarinbridge but Athenry responded well with points from O’Driscoll, Burke and substitute, Jessica Gill.

Dolan hit three frees without reply to leave four between the sides with eight minutes remaining. Dolan did point two more frees for Clarinbridge at the finish but it was Athenry who finished the strongest with four frees from Burke and a point from substitute Mollie Noone.​

Senior B Championship

Carnmore and Ahascragh/Caltra shared the spoils as they finished deadlocked on 0-11 a piece on Saturday. Carnmore would have believed that they had secured the victory scoring three points without reply from Alannah Fahy (0-2, 0-1F) and Rachael Hughes, but the ever-experienced Sarah Noone slotted over two frees deep in injury-time as the sides finished all square in Fohenagh.

St Thomas continued to show their intent to make it back to Senior A level as they ran out 10-point winners over Craughwell on Saturday in Gilligan Park. Aine Keane netted a penalty right at the start of the game for St Thomas’ after Orla Mullins was pulled back in the square. Keane hit a long ball into Amy Caulfield on the 39th minute and Caulfield made no mistake in sticking the ball into the back of the net for their second major of the day.

Craughwell did get through for goal on the 56th minute as Katelyn Walsh cut in from the right wing and she hit the ball low and hard into the ground past Sarah Healy in the St Thomas net but it wasn’t enough as St Thomas ran out 2-17 to 1-10 winners on the day.

Kinvara proved too strong for Killimor under lights in Killimor on Saturday night. Goals from Ella Bergin, Lisa Shields (2), Nina McKeown and Siofra Barry were key to their 5-21 to 0-7 victory over Killimor.