The U14 camogie girls did the club proud this past bank holiday weekend when competing and losing narrowly the U14 camogie Feile final. On a wet and breezy Sunday, the club hosted the 4 teams for the division 3 Feile. Our girls, with the bare 13 players, stood up and did us all and camogie in the club proud.
They battled through 3 tough games, with no subs for rest periods. The girls overcame Crumlin, Lucan and Setanta in the group stage on Sunday. These were 3 very tough and exciting games, and a huge effort was required by all. Aoife Kelly proved that she’s more than a goal keeper with some great full back play in the group stages. In the half back line, we were treated to the skill and battling qualities of the Malcolmson girls, Samantha and mini-Malco, Nicole. The backline battled and defended magnificently in all 3 games, not least in a very tight and tough battle with Lucan, where we emerged victorious by 2 points. In mid field we had the 2 bundles of energy, Jessica Dillon, playing in her first camogie match for the club, and Jennie Keogh. Both players gave it their all in a tight mid-field area, where no prisoners were taken. Mid-field and backline drove the team forward in all 3 games. This allowed our goal machine, Ciara McGuigan to go at the opposition backline at all times. Ciara ended up scoring 9-02 of the teams 12-04 scored in all 3 games. As captain, she led by example showing great battling qualities, allied with superb skill level. The day ended with us finishing top of the group and into the final, to be played on the bank holiday Monday in Erins Isle.
Again we faced a strong Lucan team. This was a cracker from start to finish with goals being crucial to Lucan's victory. They opened an early 2-0 to 0-0 lead thanks to green flags from Elaine McClelland and Orla Whelan. But a brilliant goal by Ciara McGuigan had Davis' right back in the game by half-time. In a tight and superbly fought match, our girls were starting to feel the effects of the 3 day game the previous day, with no opportunity for rest. A couple of dangerous runs by Ciara McGuigan, where she was taken down on the way to goal led to two superb frees by Samantha Malcolmson (Player of the Match) of Thomas Davis reducing the gap to just one point. But with 8 minutes to go Elaine McClelland's second goal proved a match winner. Our girls fought right to the end and no more could be asked from this superb group of players. The disppointment and tears will fade, and in time, this group of players will look back fondly on their performance and achievement and realise that they have now set the bar for all other Davis’ camogie teams to follow. It won’t be long before we see a number of these players push for places on our senior camogie team, and hopefully get their just rewards at that time.
Feile final score - Lucan Sarsfields 3 - 0 Thomas Davis 1 – 2
A special thanks to the team mentors, Frank Malcolmson, Stephen Malcolmson, Oonagh O’Toole and Tommy Keogh.
