*Lynda Daly was among those to impress for Scariff/Ogonnelloe.
ONE-SIDED affairs marked the start of the Clare Credit Unions Senior Championship on Friday evening.
Winning margins of twenty, nineteen, seventeen and eight points respectively were recorded in the four senior championship fixtures all held on Friday evening.
County and provincial champions Truagh/Clonlara began their defence of the McMahon Cup with a 1-22 0-8 victory over St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield at Fr Murphy Memorial Park, in Newmarket-on-Fergus.
A classic game of two halves unfolded in the East Clare clash of Scariff/Ogonnelloe and Tulla in Fr McNamara Park. While only five points separated the teams with thee-time champions Scariff/Ogonnelloe leading 1-10 1-5, the goals for either side coming from Alva Rodgers and Bridín Dinan.
Alphie Rodgers’ Scariff/Ogonnelloe were much stronger on the restart and dominated their opponents puckout. Aoife Power led the way with 0-8 with Lynda Daly hitting six points, the winners raised further green flags from Danielle Beston and Caoimhe McNulty while Orla O’Brien struck the second half Tulla goal.
From the outset, the meeting of Feakle/Killanena and Kilmaley was viewed as the potential game of the round but the East Clare side ran out 2-15 0-13 winners. Matters were tight until a brace of injury-time goals from Shauna Canny and Lorna McNamara which gave Feakle/Killanena a 2-9 0-4 lead at the interval. The return of McNamara from injury was a huge boost to their cause. The victory is already seen as crucial in potentially putting them into the last four.
Veteran Claire McMahon finished as top scorer for Kilmaley, at wing-forward for them was Regan Conway formerly of Feakle/Killanena.
Inagh/Kilnamona struck for goal via Sinead Power inside thirty seconds of their first round tie with Kilkishen and it set the tone for how the encounter would play out.
County defender Clare Hehir lined out in attack for the winners and hit 1-6 over the hour while Sinead Power was effective when at full and centre forward, she finished with 1-4 to her name. Aoife Keane’s return has strengthened their side with Andrea O’Keeffe also picking up a goal.
By half-time, it was 3-6 0-5 in favour of Inamona and while Kilkishen started the second half with a goal from Chloe Philpott the writing was on the wall well before then on how this game would finish. Former Clare captain, Kate Liddy was a huge loss for Kilkishen as is ex county defender Alannah Ryan, their presence would have steadied matters but Inamona demonstrated they will once again be in the fight for honours this season.
Newmarket-on-Fergus and Clarecastle/Ballyea both had byes for the first round and will enter the fray for round two.
Clare Credit Unions Senior Camogie Championship Round 1:
Group 1:
Truagh/Clonlara 1-22 St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 0-8
Scariff/Ogonnelloe 3-25 Tulla 2-6
Group 2:
Inagh/Kilnamona 5-18 Kilkishen 2-7
Feakle/Killanena 2-15 Kilmaley 0-13
