Goal-hungry De La Salle regain camogie crown
Waterford Camogie chairman Sean Molloy presents the Senior Camogie Championship to De La Salle joint captains Keeley Corbett-Barry and Beth Carton. All Photos: Noel Browne
Another county final epic ended in De La Salle delight on Saturday afternoon as a goal-hungry attack and a dogged defence saw them wrestle back the cup from great rivals Gailltir and capture their third Waterford title in four years.
The heartbreak of twelve months ago turned into hearty celebrations as double winner Keeley Corbett Barry was lifted shoulder high out on the field. Ladies football champion with Comeragh Rangers and camogie champion with De La Salle all in the space of seven days.
A ferocious battle, both on and off the field, was still in the melting pot until Maggie Gostl rattled the bottom corner of the net in the last minute of normal time. Salle selector John Mullane danced like Michael Flatley on the sideline! Three terrific finishes, two from Gostl and one from Abby Flynn, proved decisive in the end.
Just a minute earlier, Player of the Match Shayla Condon made a goal saving tackle on Molly Comerford. In her first county final, the teenager outshone all of the Déise stars on show. The terrier in the number two shirt hounded Comerford throughout. Her hooks, blocks and tackles lifted the crowd. Absolutely relentless. Amazingly, she is eligible for minor again next year.
Salle got numbers around the Gailltir score getters. Emma Kennedy and Megan O’Connor made important blocks. Goalkeeper Brianna O’Regan denied Annie Fitzgerald an early goal. Beth Carton and Abbie Mullane also helped the defensive effort.
Captain Carton nailed pressure frees and produced a superb solo score when Gailltir got back within a point. “The best player in the country by a country mile!” roared Mullane when she accepted the cup.
Laoise Forrest was the one Gailltir attacker that Salle struggled to shut down. A powerhouse at full forward and centre forward. She kept her team in the hunt with nine points (six frees and three from play). Waterford manager Mick Boland, who watched on from the stand, will hope to have her back for 2026.
Injuries ultimately caught up with the blue and navy. Emma Fitzgerald, Emily Mahony, Leah Sheridan, Hannah Flynn, Cara Cantwell, Ali Ferguson and Emer Walshe were all unavailable and that list got even longer as substitute Aoife Fitzgerald was carried off the field, in considerable agony, during the second half.
There wasn’t a puff of breeze or a drop of rain as supporters filled the two stands and leant on the railings. A minute’s silence was observed beforehand in memory of great Waterford supporter and fundraiser Anne Ryan.
An end to end start saw the teams swap two points each with just over two minutes played. Laoise Forrest grabbed a Clodagh Carroll free and scored inside 40 seconds. Beth Carton cancelled that out. Molly Comerford and Abby Flynn then traded points.
Annie Fitzgerald found green grass to run into and shot low but Brianna O’Regan deflected it away. Referee Andy Larkin signalled a free in and Fitzgerald required treatment. Pause for breath before Forrest tapped over to send Gailltir 3-2 ahead.
The pace slowed but the intensity increased. Abby Flynn crashed into Kate Lynch and the decision went to the Gailltir defender. A bout of pushing and shoving broke out but Larkin kept the cards in his pocket. In the twelfth minute, Keeley Corbett Barry found Flynn inside one on one. She sidestepped Maria Brennan and blasted to the top corner. The Salle supporters erupted before the sliotar even reached the cobwebs!
Gailltir stayed within a point of their opponents nearing half time. Forrest converted two frees including one from the sideline after a hot and heavy passage of play where both management teams got riled up. Aoife Hartley also created a point for Ciara O’Sullivan. Carton nailed two tough frees from the stand sideline.
Two minutes before the break, Carton grabbed an O’Regan delivery and picked out Maggie Gostl. She shrugged off sticky marker Maeve Sheridan and slammed to the top corner. Another Forrest free left it 2-4 to 0-7 at the break.
Gailltir got the deficit down to one by the 39th minute. Forrest lashed over three before Kate Lynch burrowed through for another white flag. Carton and Gostl replied for Salle before Forrest opened the shoulders and fired over inspirational point tight to the sideline. Gailltir sub Aoife Fitzgerald then went down in agony after her shot was blocked by Megan O’Connor. Play was halted for three minutes. Molly Comerford and Shayla Condon continued their ding-dong battle. Comerford slotted a point to leave the bare minimum between them.
Enter Beth Carton. She soloed through the blue and navy defence and gave her side a two point lead. Comerford was hooked by Condon when a ball from Annie Fitzgerald zipped dangerously across the face of a goal. A let off for Salle.
Off the puckout, on the hour mark, four county players combined. Carton won O’Regan’s restart and found Abby Flynn. She looked up and located Gostl. The fleet footed number fifteen took off and drove a low shot to the bottom corner. Gailltir snatched victory from the jaws of defeat twelve months ago but there was no late, late show on this occasion. The leaders held out over eight added minutes. “We are county champions!” chanted the De La Salle players as they jumped up and down with the cup.
Maggie Gostl 2-2, Beth Carton 0-6 (4fs), Abby Flynn 1-1.
Laoise Forrest 0-9 (6fs), Molly Comerford 0-2, Kate Lynch, Ciara O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
Brianna O'Regan; Shayla Condon, Alex Healy, Megan O'Connor; Emma Kennedy, Alannah McNulty, Abbie Mullane; Keeley Corbett Barry, Leah Browne; Courtney Healy, Abby Flynn, Holly Ryan; Maggie Gostl, Beth Carton, Taylor Healy.
Niamh Power for Taylor Healy (44), Isobel Boland for Courtney Healy (57), Niamh Murphy for Browne (61).
Noelle Murphy; Faye Murphy, Maria Brennan, Maeve Sheridan; Aoife Hartley, Clodagh Carroll, Kate Lynch; Shauna Fitzgerald, Molly Comerford; Alannah O’Sullivan, Ciara O’Sullivan, Ciara Sherlock; Annie Fitzgerald, Laoise Forrest, Orlaith Walsh.
Aoife Fitzgerald for Walsh (44), Caoimhe Flynn for Aoife Fitzgerald (53).
Sticky De La Salle defender Shayla Condon had a day to remember.
Maggie Gostl’s second goal clinched Salle’s third senior title.
The sheer physicality of this county final.
De La Salle will face the Tipperary or Kerry champions in the Munster semi final on November 8.
