Laurie Ryan offloads the ball. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
A DRAW was enough to secure Clare’s ladies top spot in Group 2 of the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate championship but more importantly guarantees a home quarter-final.
Clare 2-09
Tyrone 3-06
Venue: Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Longford
With inter-county ladies footballers and camogie players playing the remainder of this year’s championship “under protest” at an apparent lack of progress shown by the governing bodies and the GAA regarding player welfare issues, Clare and Tyrone players took to sitting down together in the middle of the field before the playing of the National Anthem.
When play did get underway Clare seemed to be full of nerves as they just couldn’t settle. It took fourteen minutes to register their first score when player of the match Aisling Reidy slotted over.
At this juncture Clare trailed by 1-2 to no score but in truth they were dominating possession but kicked three poor wides and dropped another three efforts short.
The Banner were also guilty of gifting Tyrone opportunities by making basic errors. One of these errors led to the opening goal when midfielder Emma Jane Gervin pounced in the eighth minute. However once the athletic Reidy kicked the Banner’s first point it galvanized the team and Wayne Freeman’s charges completely took over.
A Lizzy Roche point in the twenty fourth minute followed a Fidelma Marrinan free before a superb team move involving several players was finished low to the net by Aisling Reidy who was giving a virtuoso performance. At the interval the teams were deadlocked at 1-4 apiece.
Sasha Byrne restored the Red Hand County’s lead almost immediately when kicking a fine point on the resumption of play. However for the next twenty minutes there was only one team in it.
Freeman’s troops completely dominated every sector of the field with Siofra Ní Chonaill, captain Caoimhe Harvey and Aisling Reidy giving towering displays.
They created no fewer than five glorious goals chances but could only convert one when substitute Megan Downes blasted home in the forty second minute. This major gave Clare a six point lead on a 2-8 to 1-5 scoreline but in truth this should have been a sixteen point lead with goal chances squandered by Amy Sexton, Fidelma Marrinan and Chloe Moloney.
Failure to convert these chances gave oxygen to Tyrone and when midfielder Emma Jane Gervin’s attempt at a point deceived keeper Amy Lenihan the lead was down to three with nine minutes to play.
Former captain Laurie Ryan then slotted over what seemed to be the insurance point in the fifty seventh minute before a grandstand finish.
Firstly niece of Tyrone great Peter Canavan, Maria kicked a free in the sixtieth minute before Clare got overturned on their own kickout. Gervin bore down on goal before being fouled with referee Shane Curley pointing to the spot. Up stepped centre forward Grainne Rafferty to coolly slot home the penalty.
Clare did manage to create a match winning opportunity with the very next play but it broke down when in the scoring zone with the referee’s final whistle immediately following.
The result although not a victory has still secured the Banner top spot and a home quarter final now awaits in two weeks time.
Scorers for Clare: Aisling Reidy 1-1, Megan Downes 1-0, Fidelma Marrinan 0-3 (1f), Chloe Moloney 0-2, Laurie Ryan, Lizzy Roche, Amy Sexton 0-1 each
Scorers for Tyrone: Emma Jane Gervin 2-0, Grainne Rafferty 1-0, Maria Canavan 0-3 (3f), Sasha Byrne, Caitlin Campbell, Aoife Horsik 0-1 each
CLARE
1: Amy Lenihan (Doora Barefield)
2: Aine Keane (Miltown Malbay)
3: Siofra Ni Chonaill (Doora Barefield)
4: Grainne Harvey (West Clare Gaels)
5: Louise Griffin (Fergus Rovers)
6: Caoimhe Harvey (West Clare Gaels)
7: Sinead Considine (Liscannor)
8: Cliodhna Blake (Doonbeg)
9: Aisling Reidy (Doora Barefield)
10: Fidelma Marrinan (West Clare Gaels)
11: Chloe Moloney (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
12: Amy Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
13: Laura Griffey (Burren Gaels)
14: Laurie Ryan (Banner)
15: Lizzy Roche (Burren Gaels)
Subs:
22: Megan Downes (Cooraclare) for L Roche inj (27)
19: Caoimhe Cahill (Banner) for S Considine (HT)
20: Ciara McCarthy (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for L Griffey (43)
27: Orla Devitt (Éire Óg) for A Sexton (54)
TYRONE
1: Sinead McVey (Moortown St.Malachy’s)
2: Joanne Barrett (Drumragh)
3: Caoimhe Magee (Moy)
4: Eimear Quinn (Moortown St.Malachy’s)
5: Jayne Lyons (Beragh Red Knights)
6: Caitlin Campbell (Cill Iseal)
7: Maebh Carrigan (Errigal Ciaran)
8: Emma Jane Gervin (Aodh Ruadh)
9: Aoibhinn McHugh Capt (Aghryran)
10: Aoife Horsik (Errigal Ciaran)
11: Grainne Rafferty (Cill Iseal)
12: Emma Hegarty (Donnaghmore)
13: Maria Canavan (Errigal Ciaran)
14: Sasha Byrne (Aghryran)
15: Aoife McGahan (Aodh Ruadh)
Subs:
26 Emma Conroy (Moy) for A McGahan (38)
24: Emma Mulgrew (Aodh Ruadh) for E Quinn (54)
28: Aine Strain (Omagh St.Enda’s) for M Carrigan (57)
Referee: Shane Curley (Galway)
