irst of the Window and Rooflights LTD Senior A semi-finals on Saturday in a wet and windy Kilbeacanty.
Oranmore Maree, who led from the outset, never looked like relinquishing the lead and looked the hungrier throughout the contest.
With the aid of the wind, they scored 0-4 in the opening 12 minutes with points from Ailish O’Reilly (2 ), Amy Connolly and Eimear O’Donovan. When Niamh Hanniffy took on the Mullagh defence and blasted the ball to the net, it left seven between the teams.
Rachael Monaghan responded with Mullagh’s only score of the half, but Ailish O’Reilly finished with 1-3 from frees, with the goal coming in the 24th minute from a long range free to leave it 2-7 to 0-1.
It did not improve for Mullagh after the restart when wing back Erica Coen received a second yellow card and was dismissed. O’Reilly opening the second-half scoring, but Monaghan started a Mullagh revival with a point from play and a free to leave it 2-8 to 0-3.
However, Ailish O’Reilly extended Oranmore Maree’s lead heading into the final few minutes, and Monaghan, Mullagh’s only scorer on the day, scored a consolation point leave it 2-10 to 0-4.
Oranmore Maree will have to wait to find out their opponents as the other semi-final between Athenry and Sarsfields was postponed after the pitch was deemed unplayable.
In the Duane’s Hardware Intermediate Championship semi-finals, last year’s finalists Salthill Knocknacarra booked their spot and will meet Castlegar in the final.
Salthill Knocknacarra and Shamrocks played out a thriller in Ballinderreen on Saturday in a repeat of the 2021 semi-final when extra time was needed. There was only a point between them at half-time with Salthill one point ahead. Kelly’s free-taking was key for Salthill after she and Gilchrist exchanged scores in the opening 20 minutes of the second half to leave it 0-8 to 0-7.
It always felt like the team who got the goal would run out victors in this game and in the 52nd minute Sorcha McGinley finished a well-worked team move to the back of the Shamrocks' net. McInerny and Kelly replied with three points for Shamrocks, but it was too late.
In the other semi-final, Castlegar overcame Killimor in Bullaun in game played in tough conditions. Castlegar’s team work and good defensive system proved crucial against Killimor, a side which was relegated from Senior Camogie last year.
Castlegar, the current league champions, were on top throughout with twins, Elisha and Chloe Broaderick, to the fore, while Niamh Horan, returning from injury for Killimor, tried hard with placed balls. Castlegar ran out 0-12 to 0-5 winners - a massive improvement having bowed out at the quarter-final stages of the
