All Ireland final heartbreak for Sacred Heart Clonakilty

Scored 1-1: Claire Sexton.

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

THERE was heartbreak for brave Sacred Heart Secondary School Clonakilty after they lost, 2-6 to 1-6, the All-Ireland schools’ senior C camogie final against St Dominic’s College, Dublin, in Nenagh on Saturday evening.

Two second-half goals from the Cabra team, including a crucial second from the impressive Ciara Glynn with just three minutes left, proved the difference between the sides, despite Claire Sexton’s goal for Sacred Heart moving the West Cork team 1-5 to 1-4 in front with ten minutes to go.

But it was the Dublin girls who made the most of the strong wind at their backs in the second half, and they finished strongly, scoring 1-2 in the closing minutes, to dash the dreams of plucky Sacred Heart.

Sacred Heart had led 0-5 to 0-2 at the end of the first half thanks to four placed balls from Rebecca McCarthy (who added a late second-half point) that followed Claire Sexton’s ninth-minute score, the West Cork side’s first of the contest and only from play in an opening half where they had the strong wind at their backs.

The three-point half-time lead didn’t look to be enough at the time for Sacred Heart considering the strength of the wind, and that proved to be the case in an dramatic second half.

See this Thursday’s Southern Star for the full report and reaction.