All Ireland Under 23 Camogie Championship 
Tier 2
Antrim 2-10
Limerick 1-12
At Trim, Meath

ANTRIM's U23 camogs secured their place in the All-Ireland U23B Camogie Championship final after a breathless, last-gasp victory over Limerick in Trim.

A one-point victory for the Saffrons secured their spot in the final and what makes it truly remarkable was the fact that half of the squad had lined out just 48 hours prior, helping the Antrim seniors secure an Ulster final victory over Down in Toome on Friday evening.

Exhaustion, however, was nowhere to be seen when it mattered most and the ladies ploughed on to victory in Meath after a fierce battle with Limerick.

Antrim flew out of the traps early as midfielder Cara O’Boyle opened the scoring with a terrific score, and Dunloy teenager Éobha McAllister quickly added two more, giving Antrim a 0-3 to 0-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Although Limerick would not lie down that easily, and Carla Griffin pulled one back, Antrim's McAllister immediately answered by driving through the defence for the game’s opening goal.

Just before the half-time whistle, Antrim found a second major when Clíona Griffin, rattled the net for Antrim’s second goal, establishing a commanding six-point lead with just minutes remaining of the half.

Limerick, who had beaten Antrim in the round-robin series in Cushendun early in the campaign, refused to fold. They continued to chip away at the deficit before halftime and came out firing in the second period.

Just five minutes after the restart the Shannonsiders were level after a quickfire quad of scores from Griffin, Donna Kenny, Sarah O’Brien and Laura Southern brought their side level in the tie, and the worry for Antrim was if they could sustain their tired legs to power on.

Instantly McAllister restored Antrim’s advantage, hitting three of the next four points, but the momentum had began to shift in favour of the Munster outfit. In the 50th minute Limerick substitute Amy Burke found the net to give her side the lead for the first time. Points followed from Kenny and Southern, which left Antrim trailing by three with the Saffrons' dreams of an All-Ireland, with just two minutes of normal time remaining. 

However, despite tired legs and sore bodies, the camogs dug deep into their reserves for a miraculous final three-and-a-half minutes which was sparked by substitute Cara Burns who struck a crucial point to breathe new life into the Saffron challenge.

Éobha McAllister, whose never-say-die attitude is such a major part of her play, capped off a phenomenal individual performance as she fired over two rapid-fire points deep into added time to level the game.

Extra time appeared to be on the cards but in the dying seconds Ellen McIntosh became the hero, grabbing a dramatic winner just before the referee’s final whistle, sparking ecstatic celebrations among the Antrim players and traveling support.

The player of the match award must go to Éobha McAllister, as the Dunloy teen's performance was nothing short of spectacular.

Less than 48 hours after scoring 1-2 for the seniors, McAllister was the undisputed star in Trim. She tallied an incredible 1-7 (with all but two points coming from play), proving exactly why she is rated as one of the brightest young talents in the game.

Antrim’s incredible late surge sets up a highly anticipated final clash in two weeks against Wexford. The Leinster side booked their own spot in the final with a 2-10 to 1-6 victory over Clare in the other semi-final.

Croke Park beckons in a terrific week which also saw the Seniors clinch a third successive Ulster Camogie title against Down.

Antrim: O. Johnston; E. Coulter, A. O’Donnell, D. Dobbin; S. O’Neill, K. Molloy (capt.), C. Crawford; S. Heggarty, C. O’Boyle (0-1); A. Ferris, O. McAllister, É. McAllister (1-7, 0-2f); C. Griffin (1-0), E. McIntosh (0-1), J. McIntosh.

Substitutes: C. Burns (0-1) for A. Ferris, L. Black for C. Crawford.

Limerick: C. Mulqueen; T. Dore, C. O’Riordáin, C. Ryan; C. Griffin (0-3, 1f), E. Woulfe, E. O’Donovan (0-1); E. O’Halloran (0-1), C. Power; C. Curtin (0-1), L. Boylan, D. Kenny (0-2f); E. Hession (0-1), S. O’Brien (0-1), L. Southern (0-2).

Substitutes: A. Burke (1-0) for C. Griffin.