Thank you to Neil Leslie for compiling this excellent Minor & Adult Camogie Round Up covering many games & teams over a couple of weeks! And thank you to all the contributors for their write ups! really great to have! Still lots to play for as the season comes to a close!
Senior 1.
BSJ: 0-3
SOPER: 0-13
Our senior camogie team fell just short of the prize of a Division 1 semifinal and one of the big days in the club’s history.
But on their return to the top flight for the first time since 2019, Johns did enough to secure their status for 2024.
They will take with them lots of learning and lots of positives from exciting spring and summer campaigns.
A fantastic first round championship victory over Castleknock was followed by a defeat to 2020-21 Dublin champions Judes. (see this match report in national media)
That made last Sunday a do-or-die game for both Johns and visitors Oliver Plunketts as they battled to reach the penultimate stage of the championship.
From the start an injury depleted Ballinteer had their hands full containing threats and fighting fires around the pitch against a talented Plunketts side.
It left them struggling to make their own impact on the scoreboard.
Plunketts opened up an 0-8 to 0-3 half time lead and then used all their experience to control the second half and hold the Johns’s challenge comfortably at bay.
Despite the disappointment, BSJ did enough to earn a place in the Division 1 Shield final against Lucan Sarsfields. The game takes place in Lucan on October 15th.
Junior 1.
BSJ: 2-11
Naomh Barrog: 3-11
A battling Ballinteer took this Junior 1 semi-final to extra time in a sodden Marlay Park.
They had earned their spot with a great win in the previous round over Good Counsel where they racked up 4-13.
But this was a day when hard work trumped silky skills and scores were harder to find.
Both teams still co-produced a thriller over 80 minutes.
BSJ raised the green flag first with a superbly taken goal on the volley from Lisa Chambers who continued a fine vein of championship form.
The visitors struck back and tacked on some good scores to take a one point lead into the break.
As the heavens continued to empty the second half became an arm wrestle.
A series of hard won frees converted into the storm by Fiona Hayes kept Johns’ noses ahead.
But Barrog refused to let Ballinteer out the gap and a late, late point threw them a lifeline and tied the scores at 1-9 apiece.
The visitors emerged firing the faster for the first period of extra time and a couple of lapses from tiring minds and legs saw them open a six-point lead with two quickfire goals.
Johns never gave up though and a poacher’s goal flicked to the net by Fiona Hayes to bring her tally for the day to 1-9 left just a puck of a ball between the teams.
While they chased all the way to an abrupt final shrill of the whistle it was just a bridge too far.
It was a disappointing end to what was a super 2023 league and championship campaign for this John’s Junior 1 panel who have blended experience with lots of emerging talent to hint that there is more to come from them.
(Neil Leslie)
Minor A.
BSJ: 3-14
St Anne’s: 1-11
Ballinteer St John’s Minor A team booked a home championship semi-final after this cracking top of Division 3, Group 1 decider.
Played under lead skies and Friday night lights in Boharnabreena, both sets of players had to dig deep against the elements to produce a hugely entertaining game.
BSJ stood up across every line to build a complete team performance and see off a fierce challenge from the home side.
After two confident displays in the earlier rounds, Sophie Brennan got a well-earned rest as Alice Smyth stepped between the posts. She confidently controlled the grey skies as Anne’s peppered the Johns square with long balls.
When the sliothar spilled on the greasy surface a no-nonsense back three of Grace Lynch, Eibhlin Barry and Ruth Keoghan mopped up ball after ball.
In front of them the John’s half back line of Katie Byrne. Aisling Larkin and Ciara Andrews oozed calm, class and steel.
Lauren Burke and Eve Leslie had their hands full against a dynamic St Anne’s duo in a see-saw battle for midfield supremacy .
That back eight won enough ball to supply an outstanding half forward line where Ciara Kellegher, Sinead Ni Baoghaill and Millie Nolan racked up 3-9 from play between them in a match winning contribution.
Niamh Ni Baoghaill, Eve O’Callaghan and Juliet Wall started in a hard working inside line that tackled and ran all evening to open space for a series of superb team scores. The pick of the bunch came on 15 minutes when Eve O’Callaghan got on the end of a pass and fed Sinead Ni Baoghaill who drilled the ball to the net for John’s opening goal.
There were key contributions off the bench once again with strong performances from Isabelle Kennedy and Caoimhe Comerford. Leah Kavanagh chipped in with the final score of the night while Anna McGrath combined to stop a goal bound effort as Anne’s chased the game.
It made it 3 straight wins after earlier victories over Naomh Mearnog and a 9-10 to 1-2 thumping of neighbours Ballyboden as this young crop of Johns’ minor camogie players gave a tantalising exhibition that hinted at what they might become.
There were eight scorers, nine green flags and a hatful of beautifully worked and taken points in that game,
When the game was still alive as a contest, Ciara Kelleher (1-6), Sinead Ni Baoghaill (1-1) and Leah Kavanagh (2-0) stood up tallest to kill the Boden challenge before it got out of the blocks.
There was a brace of goals each for Eve O’Callaghan (2-0) and Juliet Wall (2-0). while Ellie O’Connor (1-1) added another.
Well worked points from Grace Lynch and Millie Nolan completed a good night’s shooting.
For BSJ there were impressive minor debuts from Anna McGrath, Caoimhe Comerford, Ellie O’Connor, Katie Byrne, Millie Nolan and Ciara Kelleher to add to a crop who got their first experience of this grade in the previous round.
The next game out for Johns’ minors is a home semi-final where they can get to showcase their skills in Marlay Park on Sunday 22nd October. Go catch them before their huge!
Minor B.
BSJ: 5-4
Cuala: 5-2
(Fiona O’Fiaich)
Anyone searching for an absolute heart stopper of a game could have done worse than be in attendance as BSJ Minor B welcomed Cuala B to Marlay park on the 1st of September. Bhí sé go hálainn go leor Gaeilge a chloisteáil ar an taobh líne agus ar an bpáirc idir imreoirí agus fóirne bainistíochta!
Cuala were quick off the mark with three early goals, and as Ballinteer scrambled to get back in it, the nerves were settled somewhat in the second quarter once Siobhán Lane got us off the mark, breaking from the centre of midfield and carrying the sliotar to take a beautiful score, setting the stage for a flurry of goals and points to leave us slightly ahead at the break.
Cuala were right back in it in the third quarter, pulling two goals back and setting the stage for a thriller right to the finish. Their goalkeeper pulled off some spectacular saves from all sorts of angles, ensuring that the game was going right to the wire. One broken hurl didn’t put BSJ’s Aisling Mac Donncha off as she wore her new replacement in with a brace of scores, leaving Ballinteer ahead as we pelted toward the dying moments in the fading early September light. Beth O’Reilly showed the determination and accuracy that has served her U16b team so well, with the final goal of the match getting past a dogged Cuala defence. Ár míle buíochas to her and her teammates who helped us to get a tight match over the line- literally!
Our Minor Bs are now through to a championship semi-final on October 22nd.
JUNIOR B Championship update
(Jim Hynan)
Junior B had a great championship with matches against Wild Geese, Erin’s Isle and Clann na Gael. Many Thanks to Minor B and 16 B players and mentors who supported our small but tight-knit squad!
