Piercestown 4-3 Rathnure 0-5
An excellent team performance saw Piercestown girls claim the Allianz Cumann na mBunscoil MiniSevens Camogie title in Bellefield on Wednesday against reigning champions Rathnure. The large support who gathered to watch these two fierce rivals battle it out
were treated to a match full of skill and fantastic scores with both teams giving their all until the final whistle.
Rathnure were first to get off the mark with a well-taken score from Aoife Guiney. Piercestown then began to make full use of both the breeze and huge puck outs from their goalkeeper Niamh Dunne when they got their first score of the match through Lettie Whelan. In the fifth minute Lettie also got the first goal of the match, scoring with a very skilful handpass from a tight angle after the ball broke through the Rathnure defence. Rebecca Hamilton’s brave defending and clearance then set up another Piercestown point scored by Clodagh Walsh. For the rest of the half the ball flew up and down the pitch and scores were hard to come by with great defending by Ciara O’Conner, Rebecca Hamilton (Piercestown) and Rhys Hogan, Leah Butler and Ashlynn O’ Leary (Rathnure). Aoife Guiney got her second point of the day after a long solo and then just before halftime, Rathnure goalkeeper Lara Conran made an important save to keep her team within one goal of the lead.
Piercestown came out after the break and really upped their game and quickly extended their lead through another point from Lettie Whelan. Rathnure were unlucky not have their first goal when a Nora Higgins free was saved and tapped over the bar Niamh Dunne. Skilful Piercestown defender Ciara O’Connor responded with a fantastic catch and long delivery to Lettie Whelan who scored her second goal of the day to put Piercestown in control but still Rathnure were not giving up and Nora Higgins replied quickly with a point for her team.
All the luck seemed to be on the Piercestown side from here on in though and a third Lettie Whelan goal from long range seemed to seal the title for the South Wexford girls. Fittingly the last score of the match was to be a driving score into the wind by Nora Higgins after a great catch, showing that these Rathnure girls never give up but on this occasion the firepower of Lettie Whelan had proved to be too much for Rathnure on the day.
Rackard League Co. Treasurer presented the cup to winning captain Rebecca Hamilton and highlighted the long traditions of both clubs in the girls’ competition and commended both teams on an excellent match.
