All-Ireland Junior D Camogie semi-final
St Dominic's 2-5 High Cross College, Tuam 2-0
ST DOMINIC'S are heading to an All-Ireland camogie final as they ran out worthy winners over High Cross College, Tuam, in their Junior semi-final at Coláiste Feirste on Saturday afternoon.
The West Belfast girls were on top throughout, with the winning margin not telling the full story as they led from the second minute on and held the Galway held scoreless from play.
There were impressive performances throughout the pitch for the home side, who perhaps could have made life a bit easier had they been more clinical in attack, but were never in any real danger as they advanced into a first-ever decider.
"We played Tuam in the Sevens and beat them well, so they parked the bus a bit and we were running into brick walls," said team coach Méabh Cassidy.
"But we settled and did enough to get over the line - semi-finals are all about winning. We have some strong girls who play both football and hurling, so the fitness and skill level is there.
"They are used to playing together at school, whether football, netball, camogie or whatever, so they know where each of them will be without having to look up, which is brilliant."
Amelie Annett on the charge 
The West Belfast side began brightly with Amy Gault landing a second-minute free as a settler, but the chances would begin to come and go despite St Dominc's dominating the play.
They had their first big goal chance six minutes in as a superb move resulted in Aoife Fitzsimons racing in on goal, but she was unlucky to see her shot cannon off the crossbar and cleared to safety.
However, the goal did come moments later as Erin Stewart's luck was in with a shot that dipped and deceived Caoimhe Higgins in the High Cross goal as the ball went over the line.
Still, St Dominic's remained dominant but the scores just wouldn't follow as they lorded it around the middle third and defensively, they were solid.
The pace of Fitzsimons was causing the Galway outfit real headaches but St Dominic's were seeing the wides tally mount with six in the opening half, yet a late free from Gault did extend the gap as they took a 1-2 to 0-0 lead into the break that didn't tell the full tale of their dominance.
Same as the opening period, St Dominic's were first on the board in the second and again, it was from a Gault free two minutes in as they picked up where they left off on the front foot. The St Paul's girl added another in the 40th minute, but prior to that, Erin Stewart could have had a second goal of her own, but this time, luck evaded as the dipping shot came off the post.
The Tuam girls continued to draw a blank until they got a big break in the 44th minute as a Meábh Dooley free from around 45 metres away travelled all the way into the net to give her side life.
St Dominic's hit back as Aoife Fitzsimons did well to nip in to gather and race away for a score, but with eight minutes to go, it was game on as Tuam had a free moved right in front of the posts for dissent and Dooley went low, sending a shot through a ruck of bodies into the net.
However, this was wiped out two minutes later as Gault launched a long free forward and it seemed to come off High Cross defender Emma Burke and divert into the net.
This gave St Dominic's a cushion and although the Tuam side threw everything at them in the final minutes, the door was bolted as the West Belfast girls marched into the All-Ireland final on March 1 against Gaelcholáiste Cill Dara.
"We don't know much about them, but that can be a good thing as you just have a go at it and play your own game," said the St Dominic's coach.
"We are the first Belfast school to get into the All-Ireland series, never mind the final, so I'm over the moon for the girls as camogie in Belfast has come on so much over the past few years. That's great for the schools who are able to capitalise and also the clubs.
"We'll get the head down over mid-term here, and the girls will be in for training to push on."
ST DOMINIC'S: A Austin; T Culbert, A McNally, M Monaghan; R McCourt, A Gault (0-4f), K McAllister; E Stewart (1-0), C McKee; A Annett, A Fitzsimons (0-1), A McGivern; E Kelly, R McElhatton, S McNama.
Sub: A McDonnell for S McNama (40).
TUAM: C Higgins; R Greaney, E Lardner, A Waldron; S Morris, E Burke, G Adeyeye; C Doyle, A Higgins; S Hayes, A Heffernan, I Comer; M Dooley (2-0 frees), S O'Connor, G Galvin.
Subs: E Flynn for S hayes (40), R Hynes for S O'Connor (40), K Gilmore for C Doyle (50), E Curley for S Morris (56), S Daly for R Geaney (58)
