Newcastle West make it back-to-back Limerick senior camogie titles with a win over Ahane:

Siadbh Redmond Limerick Leader Sport

NEWCASTLE West have been crowned Limerick Senior Camogie champions for the second year in-a-row after a confident 1-17 to 0-7 victory over Ahane in Cappamore on Saturday afternoon.

The reigning champions produced a fantastic first half display to put them in the driving seat in the game as Ahane battled back in the final 30 minutes.

There were stand-out performances from a number of Newcastle West players, but Rebecca Delee was most impressive scoring 1-8 for her side.

It was Newcastle West that opened the scoring in the game with a free from Delee after three minutes. Ahane did well to reply to this score with Niamh Brennan sending over a beautiful score from a ’45 to level the game.

This middle period of the first half was when Newcastle came alive with fabulous scores coming from the full-forward line.

Points came from Irish Kennelly, Delee and Deborah Murphy left the West Limerick side 0-6 to 0-2 ahead after 20 minutes.

Ahane struggled to get the ball into their forwards as Newcastle managed to win more of the 50/50 balls and succeeded in getting the better of the scraps for possession on the ground.

Newcastle West pushed on once again after Aine Reynold’s score from play for Ahane with a further five points before the half-time whistle.
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Delee was in superb form in the opening half as she gained possession once again making no mistake with her shot on the 25 minute rifling the sliotar into the back of Ahane’s net for the only goal of the game.

These excellent run of scores for Mike Quaid’s side left them firmly ahead at the break 1-12 to 0-3.

After a scoring frenzy in the first 30 minutes from the reigning champions, Ahane tried their level best to eat away at the deficit in the second period.

Delee fired over a point from play before Ahane got going with vice-captain Niamh Brennan stepping up for her side putting two vital points over the bar to leave it 1-13 to 0-5 after 40 minutes.

Ahane did well to win the scrappy ball in the second-half as they moved out in front of their markers, but unfortunately for them, the damage done in the first-half was sufficient for Newcastle West to remain in control for the entire contest.

Brennan scored the remainder of Ahane’s two points of the game as Roisin Ambrose shone in the closing minutes firing over two lovely points from play to finish the game off on a scoreline of 1-17 to 0-7 in Newcastle West’s favour.

SCORERS: NEWCASTLE WEST: Rebecca Delee 1-8 (0-3 frees), Iris Kennelly 0-4, Roisín Ambrose 0-3, Deborah Murphy and Ella Whelan 0-1 each. AHANE: Niamh Brennan 0-6 (0-3 frees, 0-1 45), Aine Reynolds 0-1.

NEWCASTLE WEST: Aoife Corbett, Yvonne Lee, Roisin Mann, Kate Foley, Ellie Woulfe, Lucy O’Brien, Grace Lee, Deborah Murphy, Karen O’Leary (C), Ella Whelan, Kate Ambrose, Geri Mai O’Kelly, Irish Kennelly, Rebecca Delee, Roisin Ambrose. SUBS: Mai Smith for G M O’Kelly (50 minutes), Éabha Collins for E Whelan (55 minutes), Hazel Horgan for K Ambrose (56 minutes), Lilly Duggan for R Delee (59 minutes).

AHANE: Noreen Flanagan, Kate Herbert, Ella Ryan, Claire Cronin, Ciara Keaveney, Orla Donnelly, Aishling Herbert, Judith Mulcahy, Ann Kennedy, Molly Hussey, Niamh Brennan, Fiona Herbert, Shauna D’Arcy, Áine Reynolds (C), Sarah Cosgrove. SUBS: Niamh Brennan for A Kennedy (Half-Time), Ele Madigan for E Ryan (45 minutes), Ciara Oliver for S D’Arcy (50 minutes), Rachael Donnellan for F Herbert (56 minutes), Áine Herbert for C Cronin (59 minutes), Aoife Whelan for O Donnelly (62 minutes).

REFEREE: Dan McKenna (Cappamore)