Cosgrove nets four goals to lead Antrim to junior glory

Antrim 5-05 Armagh 0-14

Four goals from Dervla Cosgrove including three in 84 first-half seconds, and three saves from Áine Graham were among the more notable events as Antrim came out on top of an action-packed Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie final.

This was a remarkable end to an inaugural campaign for the county's second string, finishing in glory at Croke Park less than a year after their flagship side secured senior status by winning the intermediate title.

This victory suggests that the Saffrons’ production line is in fine working order but Armagh will rue the failure to convert even one of their goal chances, while a catalogue of defensive calamities left Cosgrove in for some of the easiest green flags she will ever register.

Former Cork star, Jenny Curry was a real threat for Armagh but they could not provide her with sufficient quality supply and in the second half, Antrim made sure the eight-time All-Star was at least doubly attended.

Cosgrove earned the player-of-the-match plaudits and there could be no arguments about that with her three-goal salve in under a minute and a half ultimately deciding the match, her fourth major cementing the verdict.

It was last year’s minor captain, Fionnuala Kelly that made the early impact though, after Armagh had begun confidently with points from Ellie McKee and a brilliant Ciara Donnelly strike.

The teenager, whose sister Maeve was player of the match for the intermediates last year, split the posts to get the team managed by Brian Kearney and Mark McFadden off the mark and then goaled in the eighth minute following a move started by Anna McNeill. When Cosgrove’s cross generated only the minutest of heavy touches from Ciarrai Devlin, Kelly was in like a flash to