Shamrocks crowned Queens of Ulster’s camogs

Slaughtneil drew first blood through captain Louise Dougan. Lucia McNaugton followed not long after to put the score on the board for the ladies in red and white.

Both teams showed great character and some nerves both forcing wides at opposite sides of the pitch. In the fifteenth minute of the game Racquel McCarry rifled the back of the Slaughtneil net after rising heighest to catch an accurate pass from

Lucia McNaughton. No sooner had Loughgiel supporters sat down Slaughtneil’s skipper Dougan raised the green flag for the Derry side to level the game once again. Both teams exchanged points at either end but Loughgiel edged in front and as Julie O’Neill blew the whistle on an absorbing first half the Shamrocks had a 2 point lead with a half time score of 1-4 to 1-2.

Slaughtneil started the brighter of the two teams in the second half accurately hitting the ball above the Loughgiel crossbar to narrow the score once again. Loughgiel began to dominate being first to every tackle and ball and went 6 up with 15 mins to go. Slaughtneil kept in touch through Louise Dougan being accurate from the deadball but the Derry ladies just couldn’t bridge the gap. Solid defending from player of the match Laura Connolly and Loughgiel veteran Siobhan ‘Tin’ McCloskey kept the girls from the oak leaf county at bay. At the other end of the pitch Caitrin Dobbin, Aisling McFadden and Charlene Campbell added to the shamrocks score line. Slaughtneil rallied late in the game and at the very death won a 21 yard free but Dougan this time was to be denied by a resolute Loughgiel defence as the ball was cleared Julie O’Neill called time to a rapturous applause of the Loughgiel supporters. Loughgiel seniors now join their juniors in All Ireland Semi Finals in this the centenary of Loughgiel Shamrocks GAC.