It was a tale of two half's as Fullen Gaels of Manchester took on Tara Camogie of London last Saturday at Parc na hEireann, Birmingham in their first match of the championship. Both clubs knew it would be a hotly contested match as they were largely level pegging during their last meeting in the league only for Tara's to come out on top only 1 point to the good.

Fullen Gaels stormed the field in the first half matching the gale force winds swirling the pitch. Playing like they had a point to prove Sinead ni Bhaill and Sorcha Wright in midfield were winning all the puck outs and breaking ball. Using their right wing the sliotar was kept largely in the Tara half putting Tara's backs of Sheila Fernandes, Ann Gleeson, Helen Murphy and Susi Gill under immense pressure. Ciara ni Ealaithe was the Fullen Gaels danger woman and quickly had a tally of 3 points to her name. With 2 suspect penalty calls given in her favour she added a goal to the Fullen Gaels score with Tara's goal keeping extraordinaire Gilligan saving one by punching a rasping shot out to her right wing.

Feeling hard done by Tara's were not going to go down without a fight but the wind was against them and their shots were being fired wide despite the efforts of Elaine Burke, Joanne Hamilton, and Janine Heagney. Fullen Gaels full back of Sile ni Sulibhean was clearing up any low balls and scrambled a shot from Tina Enright away from goal. A chop on Taras Elaine Burke in
midfield and a much needed free was given in Tara's favour. Approaching half time and with no score on the board Burke was determined to take advantage of it. Dropping the ball into the square Tara's Angela Kenneally rattled the back of the net and the first half finished 1-03 to 1-0 in Fullen Gaels favour.

The second half was like watching a different match altogether and Tara's showed exactly why they are 3 in a row County Champions and last years All Ireland finalists.

Meabh Brennan, Orla Callanan and Angela Kenneally controlled midfield like trojans. With the wind at their backs and with Fullen Gaels puck outs dropping short in the wind the second half was largely played in the Fullen Gaels half. Picking up a breaking ball from the puck out Elaine Burke fired over a point quickly followed by a goal form Tara's Dearbhail O Neill.

The tide had turned and Tara's were now pointing from all sides of the park with an Orla Callanan shot from the left wing and an Angela Kenneally shot from the right wing both hitting the target. The only respite for the Fullen Gaels half backs came when Anne Marie Ceitinn picked up the sliotar in the half back line and a succession of hand passes in to midfield of Rachel ni Ferghail, Ciara ni Bratnaih and Sineadni Bhaill followed by a swift pass to Ciara ni Ealaithe saw her shot sail over the bar.
It was to be the only real action in the Tara half. The Tara's were running a riot and Joanne Hamilton, Angela Kenneally and Elaine Burke were seeing all of the sliotar and the score line reflected this with Burke adding a further goal and three points to her tally and Kenneally firing the last point of the day over the bar to finish the match out 3-07 to 1-04 in Tara's favour.
Fullen Gaels
Sorcha Aine ni Ghabha, Rosemarie ni Cathraigh, Sile ni Sulibhean, Anne Marie Ceitinn, Triona ni Churtagh, Karen nu Laoire, Rachel ni Fearghail, Ciara ni Breatnaih, Sinead ni Bhaill, Sorcha Wright, Maria ni Cleiraigh, Sinead ni Chonbhui, Laura ni Anmhaistir, Ciara ni Ealaithe, Laura ni Deacain
Tara
Denise Gilligan, Susi Gill, Ann Gleeson, Sheila Fernandes, Catherine Higgins, Helen Murphy, Niamh Keating, Orla Callanan, Meabh Brennan, Angela Kenneally, Joanne Hamilton, Dearbhail O Neill, Janine Heagney, Elaine Burke, Tina Enright. Subs Eilish Malone, Janine O Gorman. Tweet

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