Littlewoods National Camogie League Division 3 – Sunday, 10th March 2019
Clare 4-12 Tyrone 1-3
Clare secured their spot in the Liberty Ireland Div 3 semi finals on Sunday afternoon in determined fashion with a solid performance over visitors Tyrone. Playing with the wind in the opening half Clare held the visitors to a solitary point, but were able to match their opponents scoring chances in the second half to run out convincing winners.
A strong opening quarter saw Clare hit for five points in as many minutes, Amy Barrett may have hit for the games opening point inside the first minute but Niamh O’Gorman lef the charge for Clare and opened the Clare scoring with a point. Further points followed from Sinead O’Keeffe, Regan Conway with O’Gorman hitting the fifth also.
Tyrone recovered from this initial onslaught and drove forward but met with Niamh Mulqueen who won back possession and sent play back down the field. Louise McDonnell gathered and struck between the posts.
Clare’s next two scores would certainly give supporters the opportunity to cheer as the O’Gorman sisters both crashed home goals, giving rise to amend old adage “anything you can do, I can do as well” as firstly Niamh struck from an awkward angle, and with Clare winning the puckout Kate struck a rasper of a shot from thirty yards out to the corner of the net.
Conway and McDonnell added a brace of points and Kia Mellett set up Sinead Power for Clares last point of the opening half to see the half time score Clare 2-10 Tyrone 0-1.
With the wind at their back for the second half, supporters expected a backlash from Tyrone, however Clare hadn’t read that part of the script and kept play at the Tyrone end. Whilst no score was forthcoming for the Banner side, the element of surprise threw the Tyrone players.
With that Tyrone rang the changes, goalie Eimear Colton moved to midfield as Leona Gallagher replaced her in goals with Laura Mason being the player to leave the field. This move did pay dividends for the visitors, with Colton winning the puckout and feeding forward to Barrett who struck between the posts.
From the puckout Kate O’Gorman won a free and landed her shot in the square with Power getting the ball from the ensuing scramble and firing over. Clare were still on the attack and Niamh O’Gorman added a second goal to her tally with the next passage of play. With Tyrone winning a free in the middle Colton sent her shot high, long and between the post.
Tyrone won the battle of the puckout and sent play forward, Catherine Muldoons shot was blocked but Barrett got to the rebound to send her shot to the corner of the net. As the wind picked up more, Clare won the puckout and Corina McMahon fed play forward with Alisha Malone gathering and striking between the posts.
As heavy clouds darkened the skies over Meelick, Clare had one last attack left and driving forward, it was Conway who struck to the back of the net for Clares fourth goal just before referee John Horgan gave a well timed final whistle as the clouds overhead emptied onto the pitch, leaving Clare convincing winners 4-12 to 1-3.
Clare: Claire McDonnell Ruan; Rebecca Crowe Ruan, Rebecca Cahill Kilmaley, Jane Fitzgerald Inagh Kilnamona; Niamh Mulqueen Broadford, Kia Mellett Sixmilebridge, Orlaith Cotter Inagh Kilnamona; Regan Conway Feakle 1-3, Ciara Halpin Clooney Quin; Sinead Power Inagh KIlnamona 0-2, Kate O’Gorman Kilkishen 1-0, Sinead O’Keeffe Kilmaley 0-1; Niamh O’Gorman Kilkishen 2-2, Aisling Cahill Kilmaley 0-1, Louise McDonnell Ruan 0-2
Subs: Corina McMahon Corofin for A Cahill, Louise browne Corofin for L McDonnell, Hannah Dinan Clarecastle for Mulqueen, Alisha Malone Corofin 0-1 for N O’Gorman, Kate Dillon St Josephs for Crowe.
Tyrone: Eimear Colton Naomh Treasa 0-1; Cara Little Naomh Treasa, Julie Hogan Eglish, Denise Galvin Eglish; Siobhan Hughes Eglish, Laura Barker Naomh Treasa, Kira Donnelly Fr Shields; Laura Mason Eglish, Aoife Morgan Naomh Treasa; Roisin McErlean Naomh Treasa, Louise Casey Naomh Treasa, Aisling Jordan Eglish; Amy Barrett Eglish 1-2, Catherine Muldoon Eglish, Cara Little Naomh Treasa
Sub: Leona Gallagher Eglish for Mason
Referee: John Horgan Cork