*Lorna McNamara of Feakle/Killanena blocks Kilkishen’s Katie Frost. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CHAMPIONS Truagh/Clonlara will be joined by Scariff/Ogonnelloe, Inagh/Kilnamona and Feakle/Killanena in the semi-finals of the Clare Credit Unions senior camogie championship.
Round five of the senior championship resulted in completely one-sided affairs as the semi-final line-up was completed in emphatic fashion.
Winning margins of 25 points, 19 points, 16 points were all recorded in the ties which is highlighting a worrying gap in the gulf between teams competing in the top tier.
In the last four, champions Truagh/Clonlara will meet Feakle/Killanena while Inagh/Kilnamona and Scariff/Ogonnelloe will face off. Much closer encounters are hoped for when the penultimate stage rolls around.
Maintaining their unbeaten streak, Truagh/Clonlara blitzed Newmarket-on-Fergus 5-15 0-11. Roisin Begley scored a hat-trick for the South-East Clare side in the opening half while their backline limited Newmarket-on-Fergus to just two points in this spell.
Second half goals from Eimear Kelly and Lauren Slater saw the champions add to their tally. It capped off a busy weekend for centre forward Michelle Caulfield who alongside her husband John Conlon celebrated the opening of Thirteen Twelve Brew in Clonlara.
Scariff/Ogonnelloe secured second spot in Group 1 with a comprehensive 4-21 0-7 dismantling of St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. Within the first seven minutes, they raced 0-5 0-0 clear and by half time, they had bagged goals via Aoife Power and Abby Walsh while containing The Parish to a single point.
In a three minute spell in the second half, the East Clare side struck for 2-1, Jennifer Daly raised both green flags while Amy Barrett split the posts. Senior status has been secured for St Joseph’s which was their main objective but they will be disappointed to finish up on a whimper.
On Friday evening, Inagh/Kilnamona made it four wins out of four when running out victorious against Clarecastle/Ballyea 1-19 1-3. Having started brightly with wins over Kilmaley and Kilkishen, the campaign totally disintegrated for Clarecastle/Ballyea with heavy losses to Feakle/Killanena and Inagh/Kilnamona.
Eugene Foudy’s Inamona side have kept a strong focus throughout the group stages and head into the semi-finals in a rich vein of form. It comes with the caveat that they may not have been tested to their limit but they have passed each assisngment with flying colours.
They will be joined by Feakle/Killanena who recorded a 5-27 2-11 victory at Kilkishen’s expense. Level early on in the contest following Caoimhe Kelly’s first quarter goal for Kilkishen, there was the possibility that this could be a tight affair. However as has been common this season, Kilkishen faded from the game as their opponents took control.
Kelly’s major made it 1-3 0-6 but Feakle/Killanena upped the ante in the second quarter outscoring their opponents 1-8 0-4 and by half time they held a 2-15 1-7 advantage, the goals from Shauna Canny and Lorna McNamara.
Five minutes into the second half, Aoibheann Daly goaled to give Feakle/Killanena a seventeen point advantage and there was no looking back from here. The result consigns Kilkishen to a relegation battle with East Clare neighbours Tulla who have a point to their name after drawing with Newmarket-on-Fergus in round four.
In the intermediate final, Broadford/Bodyke and Clooney/Quin will battle it out for promotion to the top tier. Clooney/Quin overcame Éire Óg on a score of 1-10 0-7 while last year’s finalists Broadford/Bodyke secured their return to the county final beating Whitegate 2-14 1-9.
Clare Credit Union Senior Camogie Championship Round 5:
Group 1:
Scariff/Ogonnelloe 4-21 St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 0-7
Truagh/Clonlara 5-15 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-11
Group 2:
Inagh/Kilnamona 1-19 Clarecastle/Ballyea 1-03
Feakle/Killanena 5-27 Kilkishen 2-11
