There was exciting scenes at Pairc na hEireann on Saturday when Tara of London took on Wolfe Tones of Liverpool in the Junior Camogie Championship final. The Londoners were trying to retain their title while Wolfe Tones, having only entered the competition this year, were trying to bring the cup back to Liverpool for the first time ever.  After extra time and an exciting 70 mins the winners were Wolfe Tones by a margin of 2 points.

The first half was a very defensive game where both full back lines were kept very busy. The first score came from the Londoners and was one of the best points seen in the championship. Anna Nyhan who gathered the ball in midfield, rounded two players, and having caught the ball already twice, she knew she couldn't catch it again so pointed the ball off the hurl in DJ Carey style. LWT did not take long to respond when Clodagh McPeake and Emma MacParlane both scored points within 3 minutes of each other. Tara kept putting on pressure, but there were some fantastic saves from the LWT goal keeper when Mary Fenton and Aileen Dillon kept hitting the target but were being denied the goal they so desperately were battling for. With LWT scoring another two points before the break by Caroline Jackson and MacParlane, the half time score was in LWT favour at 4-1.

Liverpool Wolfe Tones were first to hit the score bored in the second half with Mooney scoring a point when she won the ball from the throw in. Alan Smith made the call to bring Fiona O'Grady from the Tara goal which proved successful as she responded to Mooney with 2 points of her own. Despite some great defending from Sheila Fernandes, Ann Gleeson and Rita Freyne LWT scored 2 points in a row from Jackson and Bronagh Mullen. Nyhan and Lisa Creamer respond by putting 2 score on the bored themselves. With Tara's being 3 points down in the dying minutes, it was Fiona O Grady who stepped up the the mark rounding two player to stick the ball in the back of the net levelling the game on a score line of 8 points to 1-5. 

The whistle blew on the puck out meaning the teams would have to regroup and play for another 20 mins to decide the winners.

The first half of extra time saw some great defending from the Tara ladies, in particular Aileen Dillon in the goal pulled off some great saves. Despite this, LWT's McParlene pointed the only score of the first 10 minutes. Nyhan scored after the break but sadly that would be the last time the Tara girls changed the score bored. O'Donoghue and Mullan continued their fantastic run of the day with consecutive points. It was always obvious in the last 10 mins that this would be the girls from Liverpool's day and they won on a score line of 12 pts to 1-7. It was great to see after an intense 70 minutes of Camogie that Tara were gracious in defeat and there was sportsmanship seen by both teams. Wolfe Tones captain, Niamh Hansberry lifted the cup  which was presented by the All Britain Camogie Bored representive, Rita O Mahoney. Well done to Wolfe Tones, what a great achievement in their first year of the competition. They now enter the Senior Championship as the winner of the Junior Championship, where they will be looking to pick up the silverware there too. Thank you to all who contributed in this years Junior Championship, there has been fantastic Camogie and heart shown throughout the season, and it is very evident that the standard of Camogie is ever increasing in Britain.

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