Dejected duo, Katie O’Flanagan and Karen McMahon depart the field. Photograph: ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
Clare’s Junior camogie side exited the All-Ireland championship on Saturday evening following a 2-13 1-06 defeat to Armagh.
A sharper Armagh side proved too strong for Clare with Bernie Murray and Eimear Smyth raising green flags for the winners while Inagh/Kilnamona’s Sinead Power pounced for Clare’s only goal of the game on the forty second minute.
With one win and a loss in the group stages plus a two point quarter-final win over Limerick under their belts, Armagh were in a stronger position than their opponents who only had one outing in this year’s championship.
Clare recorded a four-point win over Roscommon in their opening game, before Kildare conceded their game to the Ann Marie McGann and Tim McGrath managed side, with the Banner girls coming out of the draw with a semi final spot.
McGann pointed to the lack of championship games when reflecting on their semi-final exit. “It was definitely a problem but I thought we had nailed it down with a couple of challenge matches but it is very hard to replicate a championship game, Armagh had a good run with three or four games on the trot which really helped them, I have to say they were a really good team, very physical but we probably didn’t run enough at them and take on their backs, it is a disappointing day for us and so much hard work has gone into it”.
