Clare Ladies Football Press Release

Weekend League Results:

Clare League Division 1.

The Banner 5 – 9 Cooraclare 3 – 4
Kilmihil 3 – 7 Crusheen 3 – 3
Miltown 2 – 8 Coolmeen 2 – 4
Fergus Rovers .v. West Clare Gaels (postponed)

Clare League Division 2.

The Banner 2 – 5 Clooney/Quin 1 – 6
Shannon Gaels 1 – 9 Liscannor 2 – 4
Wolfe Tones (bye)
Suzuki National League Division 2

Clare .v. Westmeath
Date: Sunday March 16th
Venue: Cooraclare
Time: 2.00pm

Clare play Westmeath in a vital Division Two Suzuki league match in Cooraclare this Sunday. Throw in for the game is 2.00pm and a big turnout of supporters is hoped for. This is a winner takes all match for either team as, bar a draw – which would leave Clare in the dominant position, the winners will qualify for the league semi-finals with the losers out of the competition.

Clare have had solid victories in the competition to date over Sligo and Leitrim and suffered their only defeat away to Waterford. Westmeath on the other hand have drawn with Sligo, beaten Leitrim and also lost to Waterford. Thus there is very little to choose between the two sides. Hopefully home advantage will swing it for the Clare side so it is vital that the home support gets behind the team right from the throw in.

Captain Louise Henchy will be hoping for a big effort from all the team as qualification for the knockout stages would be a big boost to the team’s championship aspirations later in the season. Although the team selection has not yet been announced one expects the likes of the Kelly twins (Marie & Sinéad) from West Clare Gaels, the Kelly’s (Áine and Lorraine) of Fergus Rovers, Eimear Considine, Úna Downes (Kilmihil), Niamh Keane, Jane Kennedy, Michelle Delaney (The Banner) and the Considines of Liscannor (Minnie and Carmel) to figure prominently. There are some doubts about the availability of Bernie Kelly (Cooraclare) and Majella Griffin (West Clare Gaels) ahead of Sunday’s game and these absentees could be significant. However with Miltown players Lorraine Griffin, Sandra Malone and Fiona Lafferty settling well into the panel and also Cooraclare’s Tammy Hehir and Aifric O’Neill in form, Clare should have enough in reserve to overcome the midlanders. Denise Walsh should be the Clare net-minder for the game.

So all roads lead to Cooraclare on Sunday for this vital Suzuki national league match.

Clare U-14’s

Date: Saturday March 15th
Time: 3.00pm
Venue: A Limerick venue still to be confirmed

Clare play Waterford in the opening round of this year’s Munster championship at a Limerick venue this coming Saturday. The game will have a 3.00pm throw in time.

The following is the Clare panel for the game: Eimear Hillery, Aisling Torpey (Liscannor), Clodagh Shortiss, Megan O’Sullivan, Claire O’Brien (Wolfe Tones), Fiona Loughmann, Roisín Howley (Burren Gaels), Niki Kaiser, Laura McMahon, Clodagh Lawlor (Newmarket), Rebecca Culligan, Shauna Crowley, Emma Glynn, Orlaith Lynch (The Banner), Aoife Clohessy, Louise Griffin, Zara Hill (Fergus Rovers), Ciara Houlihan, Sarah O’Keeffe, Molly Brannock (Doora-Barefield), Aoife Conway, Siobhán Behan (Doonbeg), Aisling Corbett (Clooney-Quin), Aisling Reidy (Coolmeen), Elaine O’Gorman (Kilmihil), Roisín Looney (Cooraclare), Shauna Harvey, Collette Keniry, Ailish Breen, Heather Harvey (West Clare Gaels)

Team management: Kieran Harvey (West Clare Gaels), Johnny Hayes (Fergus Rovers), Tommy Hough (Coolmeen), P.J.O’Halloran (Shannon Gaels), Marie Louise Kaiser (Newmarket).
Clare Minors

Date: Wednesday 19th March
Venue: TBC
Time: TBC

The Clare minor team will be in action on Wednesday 19th next when the open their 2008 Munster campaign with a game against Tipperary. The exact time and venue for this game has not been confirmed yet but the match will definitely be on next Wednesday.

Dr. Paul McKenna,
PRO

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