All-Ireland U23B Camogie Championship final
Antrim 1-11
Wexford 1-9
At O’Raghallaigh’s Drogheda

ANTRIM secured All-Ireland glory after securing a two-point victory over Wexford in Drogheda after Éobha McAllister's goal gave there Saffrons an early lead which they clung on and defended right until the final whistle.

An intense affair saw referee Mike Ryan often having to stop proceedings for fouls but without the fear of over-intervening it made for an excellent spectacle in greasy conditions with showers at regular intervals.

The opening stages were very cagey, and both sides played the occasion as just three scores split the posts in the first 20 minutes.

It took nine minutes for Ciara Butler to open the scoring and a further four for Cara O’Boyle to equalise for Antrim. Two minutes later, O’Boyle provided the lengthy pass that released Éobha McAllister to deceive two defenders with her nifty pick-up and then crash the sliotar left-handed to the Wexford net.

Eventually the game opened up a little in the latter stages of the half and Antrim were good value for their 1-5 to 0-4 interval lead.

The third quarter was lacking in scores, but hugely entertaining. Then a Wexford goal at the start of the final quarter set up a grandstand finish, with Orlaith McAlister turning a last-gasp 25-metre free over for a point, when a goal would have sent the teams to extra-time.

Antrim captain Katie Molloy played the sweeper at the back for the Saffrons and she controlled the game from there to pick up the player-of-the-match award.

There were excellent showings and strong performances from the rest of the defence and Shannagh Heggarty, while Orlaith McAllister, Janey McIntosh and Cara O’Boyle put in huge shifts in moving ball into attack.

Éobha McAllister had a superb opening half, Elen McIntosh turned up the heat with three points in the third quarter and Clíona Griffin’s pace threatened scores up front.

Wexford’s sweeper Karen Tomkins also played well, while Leah Furlong pushed into midfield for the second half and she and Layla Stafford began to break through to put pressure on the Antrim defence.

Antrim then went 1-4 to 0-2 up with points each from Janey McIntosh, McAllister and a monster effort from inside her own half from Katie Molloy. Two points from Emma Tomkins closed the gap, but McAllister left her print on the half with another point in added time.

Elen McIntosh, struck three fine points, starring in the third quarter, before McAllister had a point from a free amongst those scores and going into the last quarter Antrim looked good at 1-9 to 0-6.

Wexford threw on two subs in the 48th minute as Keeva Steadman waited to deliver a long free. One of those subs, Aisling Goggins, put pressure on Antrim goalie Orlatih McAllister when the free arrived and the sliotar fell for her to bundle into the net, much to the disappointment of Elaine Dowds on the touchline.

But the Saffrons responded well, rallying with a point from Janey McIntosh and then a McAllister free to take control once more. However, their defence was under a lot of pressure over the remaining eight minutes, with a Butler free and a driving run from Stafford bringing the gap down to a goal with two minutes of added time signalled.

Those two minutes were full of drama. Clíona Griffin saw Cara O’Boyle in space in front of goals but over-cooked the pass at one end and Ciara Butler then looked goal-bound when she was rugby-tackled by Katie Molloy.

The crowd held their breath, and the Antrim bench looked on agonisingly praying for the oncoming free to avoid finding the net.

Steadman stepped up, and drove the free low, but it came off Orlaith McAlister’s hurl and over for a point and when Matt Ryan's whistle sounded for full-time Antrim were crowned All-Ireland U23B Champions.

Antrim: O Johnson, E Coulter, A O’Donnell, D Dobbin, S O’Neill, K Molloy capt 0-1 f, C Crawford, S Heggarty, C O’Boyle 0-1, A Ferris, O McAlister, É McAllister 1-4 (0-3f), C Griffin, E McIntosh 0-3, J McIntosh 0-2

Subs: L Black for A Ferris (43), C Burns for E McIntosh (60)

Wexford: K Steadman 0-1f, E O’Brien, L Maddock, G Roche, L Nolan, K Tomkins capt, L Furlong, S Buttle, L Stafford 0-2, R Kinsella, C Butler 0-4 (0-3f), K Floood, E Tomkins 0-2, C Byrne, K Flood

Subs: A Goggins 1-0 for R Kinsella (48), G Ivanoff for K Flood (48)

Referee: M Ryan (Tipperary)