Drom & Inch are back in the Munster final after winning extra time thriller

AIB Munster Club Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final

DROM & INCH 3-14

DE LA SALLE 0-18 AET

Drom & Inch booked their place in next weekend’s Munster Final after a thrilling extra time win against Waterford champions De La Salle.

Playing in their first ever Munster game De La Salle pushed the Tipperary champions all the way but Drom’s experience and fitness stood to them in extra time as they found another gear to finally put a small bit of daylight between the teams and secure the win.

A wonder goal from Niamh Treacy put Drom ahead 1-2 to 0-1 after seven minutes and they still led at the break 1-04 to 0-6 after a good quality opening half where beth Carton, Maggie Gostl and Abby Flynn traded scores with Niamh Ryan, Eimear McGrath and Miriam Campion. The second half continued in a similar vein, played at a great tempo up and down the field in what was a beautiful day in Waterford.

Drom & Inch still had a one-point advantage when Eimear McGrath scored an excellent point from a tricky angle to put her side two in front 1-9 to 0-10. The De La Salle response was excellent and cheered on by a great home crowd they hit two points in succession from Maggie Gostl and Kayleigh Kirby to level the match for the first time in the 56th minute.

Eimear McGrath had Drom ahead again with a point from a free before De La Salle keeper Brianna O’Regan landed a monster free from her own half to level proceedings again.

Drom again went ahead from a 45m but a late free on the 63rd minute from Beth Carton (who finished with 11 points in total) meant we were headed for extra time.

Drom & Inch got off to the perfect start in extra time when Miriam Campion rifled over a great point. Things got even better when a Joanne Ryan shot from distance floated under the crossbar while minutes later Niamh Long forced the ball over the goal line to raise another green flag after some brilliant play by Michelle Woodlock.

This put Drom four points clear at the break 3-12 to 0-17 and despite the best efforts of De La Salle in the second period of ten minutes they could only manage one more point as Eimear Cahill, Aoife McGrath and co ‘shut up shop’ in defence to secure a memorable victory for the four-in-a-row champions who march on now to Sunday’s Munster final in Mallow at 2pm against Scarriff Ogonnelloe in a repeat of last year’s final which went right down to the wire, so a brilliant game is once again in prospect.
TEAMS & SCORERS:

Drom & Inch: Caoimhe Bourke, Maureen Ryan, Christina Brennan, Aine Greed, Eimear Cahill, Mairead Eviston, Aoife McGrath (0-1), Mary Bourke, Niamh Long (1-1), Eimear McGrath (0-8, 0-6f), Anne Eviston, Caroline Shanahan, Niamh Ryan (0-1), Niamh Treacy (1-0), Miriam Campion (0-2).

Subs: Joanne Ryan (1-0), Michelle Woodlock (0-1), Grainne Long, Katie O’Dwyer, Antoinette Kennedy.

De La Salle: Brianna O’Regan (0-1), Aoibhe Waring, Taylor Healy, Alex Healy, Megan O’Connore, Keeey Corbett Barry, Luda Mooney, Cortney Healy, Alannah McNulty, Niamh Murphy, Beth Carton (0-11), Holly Ryan, Maggie Gostl (0-3), Abby Flynn (0-3), Ciara Twomey.