Killimor 0-6

St Dominic’s 0-5

By Oisín Noone at Knockcroghery

Killimor failed to score in the opening half, but Niamh Horan’s expertly-struck stoppage-time free completed the Galway champions’ comeback as they claimed the Fr Vincent Lawless Cup last Sunday in Roscommon.

Trailing by four at the break, the east Galway side persevered through difficult conditions and showed real character after the restart to secure their first provincial title since 2015 as they further underlined their reputation as a strong second-half team, adding this win to their comeback victory in the replayed county final against Sarsfields.

Darren McDonagh’s side clawed back deficits in each of those games, and they faced stern opposition again here. St Dominic’s lined out with four county players – Michelle Rogers, sisters Hannah and Lilly Murray, and Ciara Kilcommons – while the injured Aine O’Meara was replaced by Niamh Fitzgerald.

The close competitive nature of this game should come as no surprise given the journey both teams have been on in recent times. St Dominic’s have won three out of the last seven senior titles in Roscommon, however this year’s success was particularly sweet as it followed back-to-back county final losses.

Killimor also suffered final loss to Ahascragh/Caltra last year, but the 2011 All-Ireland Senior club champions recovered to regain Senior B status this year after four years in the intermediate ranks.

Supporters were treated to a tense physical battle which contained plenty of rucks, tackles, and hooks – though scores were in short supply on this wintery day. St Dominic’s started with the wind advantage, though it took 12 minutes before Niamh Fitzgerald broke the scoring deadlock and gave John Haughey’s charges the lead.

Killimor saw all of their first half chances go unconverted, though they did come close to find the net on several occasions in that first-half.

Early on, Maeve Muldoon was almost through before St Dominic’s netminder Ellen Cafferkey covered well, before dealing with Addyson Darcy’s dropping shot in the same play.

Cafferkey’s performance under severe pressure was outstanding, pulling off two close-range saves midway through the first-half, and was again on hand to bat out Kate O’Sullivan’s attempted point.

Killimor were very unlucky not to register a score by this stage, but were perhaps guilty of trying to force a goal at times.

St Dominic’s halfback line of the Murray siblings and Aimee O’Connor let very little through in the first 30 minutes, and adding to the difficulty of Killimor’s challenge was the logistics of working the ball up the field against a very stiff breeze.

Fitzgerald repeated her earlier placed ball effort to double the Roscommon side’s lead in the 18th minute, before Karen Brien – who along with Annmarie Starr and Helen Quinn remain from Killimor’s success in Croke Park – almost goaled five minutes before the break.

O’Sullivan and Caoimhe Shiel were involved in the buildup before the experienced corner-forward beat her marker, only to see her effort flash narrowly wide. St Dominic’s captain Niamh Watson also came close to raising the green flag at the other end.

Pictured: Anna Campbell of St Dominic’s finds her way blocked out by the Killimor full-back line of Siobhan Byrne, Helen Quinn and Sandra Brehony during the Connacht Intermediate Camogie final last weekend. Photo: Joe Keane.