Kilmihil's Winning Ways Continue

Kilmihil and Cooraclare ladies contested the Minor B final under lights in Cooraclare on Friday evening and what a final it turned out to be. Having met in the first round Kilmihil adhered to the match ban on county players and lined out without the services of Eimear Considine. Cooraclare won this contest and were hot favourites to take Kilmihil again in the final. But Kilmihil were not reading from the same script and playing with passion and hunger this team, with only two full minors, turned the tables on their near neighbours and brought home yet another trophy to Kilmihil.
Kilmihil played with the aid of the breeze in the first half and right from the throw in there was purpose to their play. Eimear Considine opened the scoring with a point and this was followed by points from Roisin Garry, Ciara Dennehy, Elizabeth Finucane and Eleanor O’Gorman. Indeed the ball was not leaving the Cooraclare end in the first fifteen minutes as Kilmihil attacked every kick out and were unlucky not to have raised the green flag when two shots from Ailish Considine were saved by the Cooraclare goal keeper, Rebecca Smyth. Cooraclare scored a point from a free from Aoife Clancy but Kilmihil stormed down the field and Ailish Considine forced another great save from Rebecca Smyth and Kilmihil were awarded a 45. From this kick in Ciara Dennehy added a point. With one minute left to half time Eimear Considine was bearing down on goal and was fouled by Ellen Downes, resulting in ten minutes in the sin bin for the tackle. Ailish Considine converted the free leaving the half time score 0.08 to 0.01 in favour of Kilmihil.
The second half started like the first with Kilmihil attacking winning a free which Ailish Considine again converted. Cooraclare were awarded a free and a dropping ball deceived the back line and fell into the Kilmihil net. Kilmihil immediately attacked and points from Eimear Considine and Ailish Considine followed. Cooraclare managed to get the ball over the line after a goal mouth melee but Kilmihil just kept attacking and a great point from Roisin Garry ensued. Noelle Hassett pointed a free for Cooraclare before Ailish Considine passed in a ball to Moriah Lineen who was fouled inside the small square resulting in a penalty. Ailish Considine clinically finished and any hope of a Cooraclare revival was gone.
Marie McNamara had an excellent game in goals for Kilmihil. Edel McMahon was superb at full back and the two corner backs, Natashe Murray and Niamh Fitzpatrick worked tirelessly foiling the Cooraclare forwards. Elaine O’Halloran played a captain’s part at centre back and was ably assisted by tigerish displays from Miriam Frawley and Laura Egan. In the middle of the field Eimear Considine and Deirdre Waters lorded it and gave no change to the Cooraclare midfielders. The half forward line of Ciara Dennehy, Roisin Garry and Eleanor O’Gorman were a constant thorn in the side of the Cooraclare backs and all managed to get some great scores. Aideen Lineen and Elizabeth Finucane had excellent games and full forward Ailish Considine was always threatening and was unlucky not to have a hat trick. Moriah Lineen gave a tigerish display when introduced as did Gemma Scanlan.
County Board Chairman, Johnny Hayes presented the cup to captain Elaine O’Halloran much to the delight of the large Kilmihil crowd in attendance.

Kilmihil:
Marie McNamara, Natasha Murray, Edel McMahon, Niamh Fitzpatrick, Miriam Frawley, Elaine O’Halloran, Laura Egan, Eimear Considine (0.02), Deirdre Waters, Eleanor O’Gorman (0.01), Ciara Dennehy (0.03), Roisin Garry (0.02), Aideen Lineen, Ailish Considine (1.03), Elizabeth Finucane (0.01). Subs. Moriah Lineen, Gemma Scanlan, Emma Duggan, Emma Downes, Una Kelly, Jean Brennan.
Referee: Michael Bohannon (Shannon Gaels)