Castlegar girls in thriller

Date Published: 04-Feb-2013

Ballycran 1-10

Castlegar 0-13

(AET)

Eoghan Cormican at Duggan Park

IT may only be the first week of February, but the serving of drama served up in this hugely entertaining All-Ireland Intermediate club semi-final is likely to keep camogie enthusiasts satisfied well into the summer.

For Castlegar, the concession of two points late in the second period of extra time temporarily put on hold their dreams of an All-Ireland final appearance, but they are not without a second opportunity, though it will be a much tougher ask in the unfamiliar surrounds of their opponent’s backyard.

Venue aside, if the second instalment is even remotely akin to Sunday’s original, then we’re in for another real treat. The enthralling encounter that unravelled at Duggan Park mightn’t always have been an open and flowing fare, quite the contrary in fact, but where the game’s finer skills were absent, the passion, honesty and spirit tabled by both sides more than compensated.

Every catch and puck of the sliotar was contested with admirable vigour and determination, and over the course of the 80 odd minutes played out, there wasn’t one player who didn’t exhaust their full reservoir of energy and effort.

For the Castlegar supporters, the tension had to be almost unbearable as Aislinn Connolly stood over an injury time free which would either make or break their cause, but even for the neutral observer it was hard not to engage with proceedings as the pendulum swung back and forth, particularly during extra time where both sides not only held the lead, but had chances to see the game out.

Over the course of normal time, Ballycran looked to have done just enough to see them through only to be caught in the dregs of injury time when a 61st minute Connolly free squared matters for the first time.

Connolly’s sweetly struck point tied the sides at 1-7 to 0-10 as the referee blew up for full-time allowing both teams to recharge in the dressing rooms. Castlegar finished the game much the stronger, shooting six unanswered points from a position of 1-7 to 0-4 in arrears entering the final quarter.

It was a recovery of almost miraculous proportions and they carried that momentum into extra time with Connolly – her eighth point of the afternoon – edging Castlegar in front for the first time. A hand-passed effort from the centre-forward subsequently doubled their advantage as the home support really began to find voice.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.