18 September 2007 Clare capture U-16B All-Ireland Final Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! Clare capture All-Ireland U-16B Title All Ireland U-16 B Championship Final Match Report Date: Saturday September 15th Venue: Tuam Stadium Galway Referee: Joe Murray (Dublin) Clare 5 – 11 Sligo 1 – 7 Saturday was a truly memorable day for all involved with ladies football in Clare as a superbly drilled U-16 team delivered an All Ireland title to the Banner county. To win an All Ireland football title at any level is great but to win an All Ireland Final playing with such flair, confidence and panache as displayed by the Clare girls on Saturday was a really magnificent achievement. The quality and skill of Clare’s performance in this game was laudable and augurs well for the future if this outstanding team can be further nurtured and progressed into minor and senior level. Facing a physically stronger Sligo team one worried that the Clare girls might succumb to their opponent’s physical strength in the heat of battle but any doubts were quickly cast aside as Clare used their superior skill level and brilliant footballing nous to completely outplay their Yeats County opponents. Clare exhibited a hunger for victory right from the start and had the ideal opening with a Naomi Carroll point in the first minute. Indeed the Cratloe lass was to prove a major thorn in Sligo’s side all through the game and the dashing corner forward ended the game with 2-6 to her credit. After five minutes another of Clare’s heroines on the day Eimear Considine opened her account with a pointed free. Eimear was to go and play one of her finest matches ever for her county and apart from contributing 1 -2 on the scoreboard her general play and ball distribution were fantastic and Sligo just had no answer in attempting to curb her powerful performance. Clare Captain Niamh Martin raises the All Ireland Trophy Aloft Though Sligo were slightly dominant at midfield due to the sheer physical height and strength of their centre pairing of Orlaith Devaney and Sarah Feeney they got little change from the Clare defensive unit who were having a great day at the office and none more so that full back and captain Niamh Martin. Clare got a seventh minute tonic when after some confusion in the Sligo backline Shonagh Enright ghosted through to plant the ball firmly to the roof of the Sligo net to whoops of approval from the large Clare crowd in attendance. Shonagh’s score was added to by another Considine free on twelve minutes and Eimear’s shot had point written all over it before dipping at the last minute and sneaking in under the crossbar. Clare were now 2-2 to nil ahead and looking good. However with a significant wind advantage they needed to be clocking up the scores. Sligo opened their account in the thirteenth minute with a Sandra Scully free but Clare responded with points from Considine and Carroll to lead by 2-4 to 0-1 after twenty minutes. Sligo came more into the game at this stage and had a very well worked goal on twenty two minutes from centre forward Eilís Leonard. Clare countered with another Carroll point before Orlaith Devaney and Aisling Jacob fired over two good points for Sligo. Sinéad Moloney added a point for Clare just on the half hour and in the second minute of first half injury time Clare got a tremendous boost when wing back Ciara Harvey launched forward and lofted a high speculative lob into the Sligo danger area. Both the Sligo backs and Clare forwards were confused by Ciara’s shot and the ball bounced on the edge of the small square before ending up in the Sligo net. This was as shattering a blow to Sligo as it was a tonic for Clare coming just on the stroke of half time and also at a stage when Sligo were gradually getting back into the match and may have fancied their chances with the significant wind advantage to come in the second half. Thus the half time score read Clare 3-6 to Sligo’s 1-3. Clare had outstanding performances in the first half from the afore mentioned Eimear Considine and Naomi Carroll but others to shine in this period were defenders Niamh Martin, Niamh Cavanagh, Roisín McMahon and the irrepressible Louise Woods who covered every blade of grass on the park in her determination to see Clare through. Laurie Ryan and Catherine Danagher were also coping well against very difficult opponents and thus the dangers posed by Sligo’s potentially lethal forward line were being well snuffed out. As was expected Sligo threw everything at Clare in the opening minutes of the second half. Clare were resolute in defence however and none more so than captain Niamh Martin who defended her patch excellently during this period. For all their dominance Sligo had only a thirty fourth minute pointed free to show on the scoreboard. From the kickout from this point came Clare’s most significant and best score of the game. Picking up possession on her own forty five Eimear Considine carried the ball forward before finding Niamh O’Dea on the right wing with an inch perfect pass, O’Dea in turn floated and exquisite lob into the path of the inrushing Naomi Carroll and Naomi duly dispatched the ball to the Sligo net for as good a goal as one will ever witness at any level of football. This score broke Sligo’s heart and resolve as they realised that they could not match the skill levels of their Clare opponents. Shauna Henry had another pointed free for Sligo on forty four minutes before Clare completely took charge of affairs. With Considine now directing operations around the centre of the field and Niamh O’Dea exuding class on the wing Clare launhed wave after wave of attacks on the Sligo rearguard. Naomi Carroll had a good point from play and shortly after she was unceremoniously upended in the square having been again put through by O’Dea. Naomi dusted herself down after the foul and clinically dispatched and unstoppable penalty to the top right hand corner of the Sligo net. Louise Woods is presented withthe Player of the Match award by Uachtarán Peil gael na mBan Geraldine Giles Clare were now cruising and 5-7 to 1-5 in front with just over ten minutes remaining Further points were to come from Carroll (2), O’Dea and Shonagh Enright answered only by two late Sligo points. Indeed Clare had the luxury of not converting a second penalty when Naomi Carrolls second effort (again for a foul on herself) was well saved by the Sligo keeper Joanne McDonnell. Finally after three minutes of additional time referee Joe Murray blew the final whistle and scenes of wild jubilation ensued as Clare were worthy and deserving winners. Uachtarán Cumann peil Gael na mBan was on hand to present the All Ireland trophy to captain Niamh Martin and also to present the Player of the Match award to Louise Woods of Clare. This accolade was well deserved by Louise given the tigerish display she gave all through. On the shortlist also for the award must have been Eimear Considine, Niamh O’Dea and Naomi Carroll as this trio gave outstanding individual performances. However football is a team game and the whole of this Clare team from goalkeeper Rebecca Smyth to corner forward Sinéad Moloney gave outstanding performances. Substitutes Megan Hough, Clodagh McNeilis, Rachel Garry and Rebecca O’Regan all did well when introduced with Hough and McNeilis replacing Sally Glynn and Sinéad Moloney at half time. This Clare team and their management can stand proud of their achievement in delivering All Ireland success to the county this year. This is a great and timely boost given the unfortunate championship defeats recently suffered by the county camogie and intermediate ladies’ teams. Congratulations all round to all involved and as stated earlier hopefully this is the first of many successes this great team will garner. Clare captain Niamh Martin is presented with All Ireland trophy by Geraldine Giles Uachtarán Cumann Peil Gael na mBan Clare: Rebecca Smyth (Cooraclare), Laurie Ryan (The Banner), Niamh Martin capt. (The Banner), Niamh Cavanagh (The Banner), Catherine Danagher (Wolfe Tones), Roisín McMahon (Newmarket), Ciara Harvey (West Clare Gaels, 1-0), Sally Glynn (Cooraclare), Eimear O’Connor (Coolmeen), Louise Woods (The Banner), Shonagh Enright (The Banner, 1-1), Niamh O’Dea (The Banner, 0-1), Naomi Carroll (The Banner, 2-6), Eimear Considine (Kilmihil, 1-2), Sinéad Moloney (Coolmeen, 0-1). Subs: Clodagh McNeilis (Fergus Rovers), Megan Hough (The Banner), Rachel Garry (Cooraclare), Rebecca O’Regan (Liscannor) Share this Article 0 0