Liberty Insurance Premier Junior Championship – Saturday, 27th July 2019
Clare 4-18 Tyrone 1-8 (Edendork St. Malachy’s GAA)
Clare secured their All Ireland Premier Junior semi final spot on Saturday afternoon with a comprehensive win over Tyrone. Following the long trek to Armagh the previous weekend, the Junior team did the journey again with a similar result. A four goal haul from Sinead O’Keeffe and Aoife Shannon ensured victory for the visitors.
Clare were on the attack from the throw in, Kate O’Gorman feeding play forward to Aisling Cahill who passed to Louise McDonnell who split the posts with less than a minute on the clock. Sinead O’Keeffe added to Clares tally following good support work from Regan Conway.
Clare were dominating and when Amy Barrett struck a sideline cut for the home side, Kate O’Gorman intercepted and drove forward for Clare’s third point. Roisin McErlean opened the home sides tally on the ten minute mark when she converted from placed ball.
From the puck out, Conway won possession in the middle of the field and ran straight through before passing to O’Keeffe who finished to the net for Clare’s first goal. McErlean pulled back a brace for the home side with her accuracy from two converted frees. Aisling Cahill added her name to the Clare score sheet when she pointed following a pass from O’Gorman.
McErlean was keeping her side in the game, her next point coming from play. Clare were answering Tyrone on each occasion the home side raised a flag, Conway added a free before Sinead Power split the posts.
McErlean who ended the game as her sides only scorer added a brace before O’Keeffe fired over the last score of the half, leaving Clare comfortably ahead, Clare 1-7 Tyrone 0-6.
Clare were on the attack from the restart, only for Claire Hamill to overturn possession and drive long. Niamh Mulqueen went high and struck long down the wing where Louise McDonnell gathered and struck only to be denied by Cathy Jordan in the Tyrone goals. Conway added a free before Clare struck wide of the mark twice.
From the puck out, Tyrone won possession through Aisling Jordan, with the Eglish player driving forward before passing to McErlean who finished to the net to leave two points between the sides. Any hope Tyrone had of mounting a comeback into this game were quickly nullified.
O’Gorman won the puck out and fed play forward with O’Keeffe gathering and going forward raised her second green flag of the day. Conway added a trio of points over the next five minutes, one of those being a converted ’45 as Jordan deflected out over the line from an O’Gorman strike.
Power added from play to make it double scores Clare 2-12 Tyrone 1-6 midway through the second half. McErlean converted a free and again Clare responded well.
Clare won possession from the puckout through O’Keeffe who had moved temporarily to midfield, the Kilmaley woman stuck to the wing with half time substitute Aoife Shannon gathering and running through struck to the back of the net.
Conway ensured herself of a 21st Birthday to remember as she added another brace of points for the Banner, followed by a well struck effort from Power. With the game entering the closing ten minutes, O’Keeffe split the posts from out on the wing.
As time reached sixty minutes Clare, through Shannon struck for their fourth green flag, the St Josephs woman striking hard at the Tyrone goals and though Jordan got a touch to the ball she couldn’t prevent it ending in the back of the net. Conway finished the scoring with a point from play to ensure victory for he visitors on a final scoreline of Clare 4-18 Tyrone 1-8.
Clare take second place in the Group as Roscommon accounted for am injury ridden Armagh in Oran. Clare will face Kerry in the semi final on 10th August, with Roscommon awaiting the results of next weekend’s encounter between Offaly and limerick to see who they face in the penultimate stage.
Clare: Niamh Lyons; Rebecca Crowe, Rebecca Cahill, Orlaith Cotter; Niamh Mulqueen, Orla Moloney, Corina McMahon; Kate O’Gorman 0-1, Ciara Halpin; Regan Conway 0-9, Aisling Cahill 0-1, Sinead Power 0-3; Louise McDonnell 0-1, Sinead O’Keeffe 2-3, Claire McDonnell.
Subs: Aoife Shannon 2-0 for C McDonnell, Siobhan Lenihan for Halpin, Louise Browne for A Cahill, Dawn Ryan for Crowe, Jane Fitzgerald for R Cahill
Referee: Alan Lagrue Kildare
