Dunderry double up in Junior A decider

Dunderry..............................2-9

Trim....................................1-6

What a few days Dunderry camogie had last weekend. They won the Intermediate at Trim on Saturday and followed it up by claiming the Junior A crown with this victory over Trim at a bright and sunny Boardsmill on Sunday

Winning a championship at any time at any level is a major deal for any club but to bag two in 24 hours is memorable indeed.

They surged to victory in this encounter with a power-packed second-half display helped greatly by the accuracy and the composure of their chief markswoman, Katie Duffy. She converted three frees and two '45's in that second-half to help turn an interval deficit of 0-3 to 0-6 into a winning margin. Second-half goals from Abbie Farrell and Hayley Allen were also big factors.

In all Duffy finished with seven points (she also converted two frees in the opening half). All that calmness under pressure went a long way in helping her team get across the line much to the delight of their supporters and management team of coaches Mick Minogue and Kevin Heffernan as well as mentors Freda O’Leary, Eveline Griffin and Tracy Fitzsimons, all of whom were also on duty on Saturday.

Dunderry didn’t have the best of opening halves with Trim asserting themselves all over the pitch. With the help of three points from Deirbhle Clifford (two frees) added to two from play notched up by the enterprising Ailbhe Hannon and a converted free scored by Stacy Donoghue, Trim enjoyed that three-point interval lead.

Dunderry had to work hard to stay in touch with their rivals in that opening 30 minutes with Duffy’s two converted frees added to an Allen point from play making up their modest interval tally. Then in the second minute of the second-half Farrell scored a super goal for Dunderry followed by a converted Duffy free.

Two minutes later Trim hit back with a goal of their own when Sharon Hilliard finished expertly to the net. It looked, at that stage, like we would get a close encounter with score matched by score. Instead Dunderry took something of a stranglehold and helped by Duffy’s shooting - added to a point from play scored by Farrell and Allen’s smartly-taken goal on 55 minutes - they stepped away from their opponents.

The problems Trim encountered in that second-half were reflected in the way Hilliard’s goal was their only score. That too was a testament to the Dunderry defence. Another reason why they won to complete a fantastic double.

Dunderry: Orlaith Duffy; Katie Duffy (0-7 five frees, two '45's), Mags Kilcooley, Caoimhe Ní Laoire; Eva Fay, Faye Govern, Katelyn Feeney; Kate Clarke, Rebecca Larkin; Aishling Larkin, Grace O’Toole, Lauryn Comerford; Abbie Farrell (1-1), Eimear Daly, Hayles Allen (1-1). Sub: Kate Coyle for E Daly half-time.

Trim: Mary Andrews; Emma Reilly, Leah Boyle, Kayleigh Massey; Aoife O’Brien, Stacy Donoghue (0-1 free), Cliona Walsh; Nessa Slattery, Coaimhe McMahon; Katie O’Brien, Evelyn Williams Byrne, Sarah O’Connor; Deirbhle Clifford (0-3 two frees), Sharon Hilliard (1-0), Chantel Massey. Subs: Ailbhe Hannon (0-2) for McMahon 27m, Charley Ayton for Boyle half-time, Ellie Saunders for O’Connor 52m, Emma McLoughlin for Reilly 55m, Chloe Butler for Hilliard 58m.

Referee: John McDonnell (Offaly).