Davitts are the Galway Senior B camogie champions after overcoming St Thomas’ 1-14 to 2-8 in a close encounter on Saturday in Killimor.
St Thomas’ looked likely to cause an upset, but the experience gained by Davitts' younger players with the Galway intermediate team - Ciara Hickey, Aisling Donnellan and player of the match Katie Anna Porter - really came to the fore.
Davitts started brightly with points from Galway minor captain Ciara Hickey, Chole Farragher, and Catherine Hanley, putting them 0-3 to 0-0 ahead after seven minutes. Aine Keane and Hanley exchanged scores through placed balls before St Thomas’ managed to pull themselves level by the 21st minute with Caoimhe Barrett, Abbie Massey and Keane all adding to their tally.
Hanley added two frees, while full back Aisling Donnellan also delivered a superb long range-free on the 25th minute to leave three between the teams. However, when St Thomas’ won a penalty in the 27th minute, Keane made no mistake in striking the ball low and hard into the Davitts' net. When Massey struck a point, St Thomas’ took the lead for the first time.
Although Niamh Lawless replied with a point to leave the sides level, a long ball into the St Thomas’ square found Barrett who made no mistake with a goal to give her side a three-point lead at half-time.
Davitts replied with one of their own in the first minute of the second half through Niamh Lawless.
It was nip and tuck when Keane replied with a free for St Thomas’ to give them the lead, but Hanley, and Lorraine Farrell added two more points. When Deirdre Burke and Keane both added points it looked good for St Thomas’, but these would be their last scores. Instead the last minutes belonged to Davitts with four Catherine Hanley points, three from frees.
Davitts' backs really stood up for them in that last 15 minutes to deny St Thomas’, who missed goal opportunities. Credit, however, to goalkeeper Sarah Healy who pulled off some superb saves.
Davitts will look to push on for next year as they contest the Senior A competition next year with Sarsfields and Oranmore Maree.
