*Clare joint captain, Clare Hehir. Photograph: ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
CLARE HAVE SECURED their senior camogie status following a comfortable twelve point win over Offaly.
Clare 6-10
Offaly 1-13
Venue: Moneygall
Within twenty two minutes, Clare had four goals stuck in the back of the net but the signs were evident much earlier that this was going to be a successful outcome for the Banner girls.
Inside the opening ten minutes, Chloe Morey and Eimear Kelly goaled with Feakle/Killanena’s Zi Yan Spillane raising a white flag to put them into a 2-02 0-02 advantage.
Further green flags from Morey and Niamh O’Dea pushed the side managed by Conor Dolan and John Carmody into a 4-04 0-03 lead on the twenty two minute mark. By half time, the scoreboard read 4-07 0-05.
Although Offaly hit 1-08 in the second half, the damage was well and truly done with Kelly adding another goal in the second half as Clare cruised to their first win of this year’s championship.
While they were unlucky not to record wins over Tipperary and Dublin, both of these games ending all square, the disappointing defeats to Cork, Wexford and Waterford ultimately ensured Clare would have to fight to retain their status.
For two of their group outings, Clare were unable to score a goal, they did raise two green flags against Cork and one each in the encounters against Dublin and Waterford but their return of six majors on this occasion was obviously central to the outcome.
Inter-county camogie focus now switches to the Junior side who face Antrim on Saturday week (July 23rd) at O’Connor Park in Tullamore where they are sixty minutes away from contesting an All-Ireland decider.
Scorers:
Clare: Lorna McNamara 1-5 (2 frees), Eimear Kelly 2-2, Chloe Morey 2-1, Niamh O’Dea 1-0, Orlaith Duggan (0-1), Zi Yan Spillane (0-1)
Offaly: Mairead Teehan 0-6 (4 frees, 2 ’45 ), Roisin Egan (0-3), Sarah Harding (1-0), Sarah Walsh (0-1), Faye Mulrooney (0-1), Kaitlyn Kennedy (0-1), Aisling Brennan (0-1)
Teams:
Clare: Doireann Murphy (Clarecastle), Ciara Grogan (Clooney-Quin), Susan Daly (Scarriff-Ogonelloe), Caoimhe Kelly (Kilkishen), Aoife Keane (Inagh-Kilnamona), Clare Hehir (Inagh-Kilnamona), Alannah Ryan (Kilkishen), Caoimhe Carmody (Kilmaley), Niamh O’Dea (Kilmaley), Lynda Daly (Scarriff-Ogonelloe), Eimear Kelly (Truagh-Clonlara), Zi Ya Spillane (Feakle-Killanena), Orlaith Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Chloe Morey (Sixmilebridge), Lorna McNamara (Feakle-Killanena). Subs: Lauran White, Muireann Scanlon, Aoife Power, Gretta Hickey, Ellen Casey, Shauna Canny, Niamh Mulqueen, Sinead Hogg, Rebecca Crowe, Aoife Anderson, Abby Walsh, Rachel Kelly, Michelle Powell, Roisin Powell, Sinead O’Keeffe
Offaly: Eleanor Clendennen (Kinnitty), Sarah Guinan (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Siobhan Killeen (St Cillians), Orla Gorman (Tullamore), Grace Teehan (Naomh Brid), Aisling Brennan (St Cillians), Orlagh Phelan (Naomh Brid), Sarah Walsh (Tullamore), Louise Mannion (St Rynaghs), Sarah Harding (Birr), Christine Cleary (Shinrone), Roisin Egan (St Rynaghs), Kaitlyn Kennedy (Drumcullen), Siobhan Flannery (St Rynaghs), Mairead Teehan (Moneygall). Subs: Leah Gallagher, Clodagh Leahy, Jane Lowry, Edwina King, Faye Mulrooney, Caitlin O’Meara, Catriona Doughan, Sharon Shanahan, Amy Byrne, Aisling Feeney
