Coady wins the day for Carlow
Caoimhe Coady scored an injury time winning point for Carlow in Armagh today Photo: Tom Nolan
Caoimhe Coady struck a dramatic injury time winning point as Carlow recorded their first win of the season in Division 2A of the Very Camogie National League.
It looked like Carlow would making their way home from the Laurence O'Tooles GAA club in Belleek with plenty of regret as they conceded four points in a row in the final ten minutes to leave the game level going into injury time.
At that stage, there only really felt like one winner as all the momentum had shifted in favour of the home team but in the 63rd minute, Coady made sure that Carlow would be leaving with the points with a moment of magic as she scored a superb winning point from near the left sideline just inside the Armagh 45.
Overall, it’s a win that Carlow deserved and they would have been kicking themselves all the way home had they let it slip from their grasp but in the end, it took some real mental strength, and no little skill, to dig out the winning score.
Carlow had scored the first two points of the game through Eleanor Treacy and teenager Sarah Sheehan but Armagh replied with three points in a row.
They then had a great chance to really take control of the game when Carlow goalkeeper Catherine Kavanagh was harshly penalised for charging and a penalty was awarded. If there was any blame on Kavanagh for the concession of the penalty she made up for it with a great save to keep out Megan O’Callaghan’s effort.
After a Treacy free levelled the scores in the 20th minute, Carlow had four wides in a row before Treacy scored again, from a 45, in the 28th minute.
They scored a crucial goal a minute later when Anna Murphy won possession and freed Caoimhe Jordan. The midfielder set off on a mazy solo run before firing into the top corner of the net and Carlow led 1-4 to 0-4 at half time.
It was nip and tuck through third quarter, with the highlight for Carlow coming when Leah Ryan marked her debut with a superb point shortly after coming on, and Carlow looked set for a comfortable win when Coady put them four ahead with 11 minutes to play.
But all their good work looked like it would be undone when Sinead Quinn scored four points in a row, three from frees, to tie the game. Thankfully, Coady saved the best score with almost the last action of the game to make sure Carlow left with their first win of the season.
E Treacy 0-5 (3fs, 1’45), C Jordan 1-0, C Coady 0-2, S Sheehan 0-1, L Ryan 0-1.
S Quinn 0-6 (3fs), R Merry 0-4 (3fs), C Hill 0-1.
Catherine Kavanagh; Niamh Canavan, Rachel Breen, Gillian Doyle, Mairead O’Shea, Michelle Nolan, Aibha Kieran; Caoimhe Jordan, Eleanor Treacy; Eve Sinnott, Sarah Sheehan, Anna Murphy, Ciara Kavanagh, Caoimhe Coady, Holly Wall. Subs: Leah Ryan for Murphy, 37.
Ciarri Devlin; Meath O’Hare, Grainne McWilliams, Riona Cunningham, Clodagh McClelland, Eimear Hayes, Alanna McEntee; Lucie Loughran, Katie Connie; Ciara Hill, Corrina Doyle, Sinead Quinn, Megan O’Callaghan, Rachael Merry, Tierna Maxwell. Subs: Niamh Forker for Merry, 45; Nikki Woods for Cunningham, 53; Niamh Murphy for Maxwell, 53; Caitlin Byrne for O’Callaghan, 55.
Eamon Peter Cassidy
