Orlaith Cahalane scores hat-trick as Barrs beat Truagh-Clonlara to reach Munster senior camogie final
HAT TRICK HERO: Orlaith Cahalane in action for St Finbarr’s. Pic: Larry Cummins.
St Finbarr’s are through to the semi-final of the AIB Munster senior camogie championship after a hard-fought win over Truagh-Clonlara at MTU on Sunday.
With two beaten All-Ireland finalists over the last two seasons clashing this was never going to be an easy task.
As expected, it was a battle with the Barrs dominating the first half and credit to Truagh-Clonlara they came back at them after the break.
The Barrs had to call on all their experience to get through this one with Gemma O’Connor putting in a superb performance in defence.
Up front Sorcha McCartan, Kate Wall and Orlaith Cahalane, who scored three of their goals, were a handful all through for the Truagh-Clonlara defence.
Had the Barrs lost the game they might have questioned a few of the referring decisions over the hour when a lot of the 50-50 calls seem to go the way of the Clare side.
That would be backed up the stat that they didn’t get a single score from a free for the entire game and their opponents hitting seven from frees.
It took only three minutes for the Barrs to score their opening goal, with Nicole Olden on target.
A long sideline ball in by McCartan was pulled on by Olden for the game’s opening score.
Wall added a point before Roisin Begley replied from a free for Truagh-Clonlara, to make it 1-1 to 0-1.
Hannah Horgan added a point for the Clare side, before two from McCartan stretched the Barrs lead, despite playing against a strong wind.
Begley got her second from a free, before two more from Wall made it 1-5 to 0-3 after 16 minutes.
McCartan added another before she set up Cahalane for their second goal.
Her inch perfect pass found Cahalane in front of goal and she gave Sophie Cullen no chance of saving, to make it 2-6 to 0-3.
Wall added another before McCartan repeated the feat and set up Cahalane for the Barrs third goal.
Eimear Kelly got the last score of the half for Truagh-Clonlara as the Barrs deservedly led by 3-7 to 0-4 at half time.
Credit to Truagh-Clonlara they came out fighting after the break as they scored the first seven points of the second half.
Laura Foley, from a free, was followed by another from a free by Begley. Niamh Ryan and another Begley free made it 3-7 to 0-8 after 40 minutes.
Eimer Kelly, Aine O’Loughlin and Begley added points to make it 3-8 to 0-11 after 44 minutes.
McCartan got the Barrs first score of the second half, before Truagh-Clonlara were thrown a lifeline when they found the back of the net.
A mix up in the Barrs defence let O’Loughlin in and she gave Ciara Hurley no chance of saving in the Barrs goal.
Cahalane and Begley exchanged points to make it 3-9 to 1-12 after 57 minutes.
A minute later McCartan caught a great ball in midfield and played it forward to Cahalane. She rounded several defenders before find the back of the net to put the game beyond doubt.
She added a point as the Barrs ran out deserving winners and now face Thurles Sarsfields in the semi-final next Sunday in Tipperary.
O Cahalane 3-2, K Wall, S McCartan 0-4 each, N Olden 1-0.
A O’Loughlin 1-1, R Begley 0-6 (6f), E Kelly 0-2, H Horgan, L Foley (f), N Ryan 0-1 each.
C Hurley; S Punch, A Egan, K Cahalane; M Cahalane, G O’Connor, A O’Neill; L O’Donovan, A Shannon; N Olden, E Wigginton Barrett, C Golden; K Wall, O Cahalane, S McCartan.
E Hurley for E Wigginton Barrett (46), I Keegan for K Cahalane (52 inj), A Byrne for C Golden (60).
S Cullen; N Powell, M Powell, T Morris; E Horgan, L Foley, A Marren; M Caulfield, E Begley; J Egan, R Begley, H Horgan; E Kelly, N Ryan, Á O’Loughlin.
L Hawes for E Kelly (55).
Donnacha O’Callaghan (Limerick).
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