All-conquering Carton inspires De La Salle once more
De La Salle camogie team. All Photos: Noel Browne
Another eye catching Beth Carton performance powered De La Salle to the county senior camogie final for the fifth year in a row. 1-9 from the four-time All Star (1-3 from play) saw the Gracedieu side saunter past a below par St Anne's in Saturday's curtain raiser at a windy Carriganore.
Waterford’s greatest ever camogie player continues to produce the goods for club and county. See her in the flesh while you can. She looks like a woman on a mission after last year's county final loss to Gailltir. Beth won dirty ball, picked out team mates with razor sharp passes, took quick frees and drove at the opposition defence.
Centre back Alannah McNulty followed Déise colleague Niamh Rockett absolutely everywhere. Midfielder Keeley Corbett Barry linked up with Carton and burst forward to shoot two points. Abby Flynn also fired two points and created the second goal for Courtney Healy with a super solo run.
Nothing went right for St Anne's. They went 35 minutes without a score in an error strewn display. Niamh Rockett had an off day on dead balls. Shot stopper Lucy Beresford and plucky corner back Niamh McGrath were their best players. They took the field without injured pair Megan Foran and Mide Delaney.
Salle led by nine points at the break and it could have been more as Lucy Beresford saved a Maggie Gostl penalty in first half injury time. Heavy rain fell on Saturday morning but the sun came out in time for throw in. Niamh Rockett won the toss and chose to play with the wind initially. She took advantage straight away with a point off her left side after just 40 seconds. It was only time the green and red led all afternoon. Abbie Mullane, who acted as an extra midfielder for De La Salle, levelled it up.
Two Beth Carton points and one from Maggie Gostl made it 4-1 to the Gracedieu girls by the ninth minute. Carton also scooped a ball wide when a goal was on the cards. Rockett replied with a well struck free from the stand sideline. St Anne’s didn't score again for the rest of the first half.
In the twelfth minute, Carton soloed past three defenders before striking to the net (1-4 to 0-2). At the other end, a Rockett delivery landed over the head of Salle goalkeeper Brianna O'Regan but neither Becky Kavanagh or Áine Mackey could force the sliotar home. Keeley Corbett Barry beat three green shirts before firing over from 40 metres. John Mullane and Niall Collins exchanged words along the sideline before referee Robbie Dunne intervened.
Lucy Beresford saved from Gostl as two Carton 45s stretched the Salle lead. Rockett hit the post with a free but Carton made no mistake into the dressing room goal. In first half injury time, Corbett Barry was brought down for a penalty. Beresford saved brilliantly from Gostl and got up off her feet to block the rebound. Last year’s runners-up still went in 1-8 to 0-2 ahead at the interval.
Three Salle points within three minutes of the restart extinguished any possibility of a St Anne's comeback. Carton, Abby Flynn, Corbett Barry and Gostl all split the posts as the gap went out to fifteen points. Their hurling was much slicker than the opposition. On 40 minutes, Flynn blew open the defence with a solo run and Courtney Healy applied the finish (2-14 to 0-2).
Niamh Halley ended a 35 minute scoring drought for St Anne’s as the leaders emptied the bench in the last quarter.
Beth Carton 1-9 (4fs, 2 45s), Courtney Healy 1-0, Abby Flynn, Maggie Gostl, Keeley Corbett Barry 0-2 each, Taylor Healy, Abbie Mullane 0-1 each.
Niamh Rockett 0-3 (2fs), Niamh Halley 0-2.
Brianna O'Regan; Shayla Condon, Alex Healy, Megan O'Connor; Taylor Healy, Alannah McNulty, Emma Kennedy; Keeley Corbett Barry, Leah Browne; Courtney Healy, Beth Carton, Holly Ryan; Abbie Mullane, Abby Flynn, Maggie Gostl.
Niamh Power for Courtney Healy (48), Isobel Boland for Ryan (48), Niamh Murphy for Gostl (48), Sadie Carton for Browne (54), Ellis McHugh for Flynn (54).
Lucy Beresford; Alice Rainey, Melanie Buck, Niamh McGrath; Jane Kirwan, Leah McGrath, Niamh Halley; Hannah McGrath, Bevin Bowdren; Róisín Kirwan, Niamh Rockett, Tao Behan; Becky Kavanagh, Aishling Bonnar, Áine Mackey.
Abby Murphy for Kavanagh (42), Aleisha McDonald for Behan (45), Ciara Sheahan for Rainey (48).
Robbie Dunne PLAYER OF THE MATCH: It has to be Beth Carton yet again.
Carton’s goal knocked the stuffing out of St Anne’s.
How dominant De La Salle were from start to finish.
Salle take on Gailltir for the fifth successive year on October 11. Two wins apiece in the last four deciders!
