Down Camogie Senior Championship sees Ballycran up and running

With a fresh breeze running up the length of the pitch and some low level sunshine pouring in over the top of the John Mallon stand, it felt like autumn was knocking on the door but thankfully it was a fine day to play Championship camogie. McKenna Park hosted round one of the Down Camogie Senior Championship against Portaferry.

Within less than a minute, Portaferry’s Frances Toner scored the first point of the match, which started from Portaferry winning Referee Mark McKenna’s throw-in and a ground battle for possession. Ballycran responded quickly with a point from Catherine McGourty and as Ballycran eased ahead to a three point advantage, Portaferry’s Francis Toner dropped in an awkward ball to keeper Ciara McCarthy that looked like it would be blocked everyday all day but on this occasion, dropped in between the hurl and the bar for a Portaferry goal.

Both sides would trade points, with McGourty having the honour of levelling both sides from a free for a scoreline Ballycran 0-6 Portaferry 1-03. Neisha McCullough would soon find an opening through the Port’s half back line and fired in a shot that struck the cross bar with some force, bouncing just out past the full back line and into the waiting hand of Mary Gilmore. Gilmore took no time to dispatch the sliotar into the back of the net and for the first time in the match, Ballycran took the lead. Portaferry appeared to lose some of their momentum after the goal and it wasn’t long before Alaidh Smyth took advantage of the lull in work rate and picking up a loose ball progressed forward from Neisha McCullough, fired in a sizzling sliotar to the roof of the net and brought the first half proceedings to a close with Ballycran 2-07 Portaferry 1-04.

With the breeze now to their backs, Portaferry went to work quickly after the break with Mia Fitzsimmons punching the back of Ballycran’s net with the sliotar that was hard earned and brought the game back to within a three point deficit for Portaferry. The game fell into another quiet spell but as the Ports attempted to advance past Ballycran’s half back line, the Cran’s number five, Jenny Fowler gathered up a loose ball and pucked it into the empty half forward space. Mary Gilmore rushed forward to collect the sliotar but dropped it only to be gathered up by Alaidh Smyth. Smyth pushed towards the goalmouth and as cool as you would wish, delivered the sliotar again into the back of the net for her second goal of the match. Mark McKenna brought the match to a halt for the second water break with the scoreline Ballycran 3-10 Portaferry 2-09.

During the second half, Ballycran took advantage of keeper McCarthy’s ability to establish long puck’s into the breeze, allowing Neisha McCullough to feed the forward structure that would keep pressing Portaferry’s defence. Fowler, Rhea Smyth, Brid McGourty and Sophie McGrath would also source balls forward and one of those would find the secure hand of Catherine McGourty who turned on a sixpence and after sending the sliotar over the bar, would not have known it started a straw poll amongst the supporters for being the best point from Ballycran today. McGourty wasn’t finished yet, picking up another fed ball, charged forward with considerable momentum to score a goal that needed the ball net to stop her run.

On the full time whistle, Ballycran would be delighted with their opening game and huddled for a post match discussion with the score board recording 4-12 to 2-12 but there appears to have been a subsequent correction, with the scoreline finalised at Ballycran 4-12 Portaferry 2-11. Congrats to the girls, hard luck to Portaferry, thanks to all the Stewards and the Official Down Camogie team. Here are some photos to record the occasion.