Clare Minor Finals Previews

Ladies Football Board Press Release Clare Minor
Championship Finals

A Final: Miltown .v. The Banner at Coolmeen, 7.15pm, Friday November
23rd.

B Final : Coolmeen .v. Kilmihil at Labasheeda, 2.00pm, Saturday,
November 24th.

This weekend sees the culmination of the 2007 Clare ladies football
Minor Championships with reigning A champions Miltown taking on
arch rivals The Banner in Coolmeen on Friday evening while on Saturday
afternoon Kilmihil and Coolmeen face each other in Labasheeda for
the B crown. Friday nights Minor A final has all the ingredients
of a cracker with two very high profile and skilful teams coming
face to face for what should be an intriguing game. Only a kick
of the ball separated these sides when they met in the penultimate
stage of last years championship in what was one of the year’s best
games of football. Similarly a year earlier both teams served up
another compelling hour’s football in the 2005 decider with Miltown
again taking the honours. So the St. Joseph’s ladies are chasing
a three in a row and with fourteen of last year’s championship winning
team again available for selection this year they must be quietly
confident of victory again on Friday night. Many of this team also
have the benefit of winning last year’s senior championship and
of reaching this year’s senior decider also. Players like Fiona
Lafferty, Sandra Malone, Lorraine Griffin, Tara Glynn amongst others
are established stars in Clare football and will be eager to triumph
again over their great rivals from the Banner.

The Ennis side will not be without its stars either and will feature
seven of this years Clare All Ireland U-16B winning team as well
as three other panellists from this side. Many of their players
will also have the experience of winning All Ireland Féile finals
in 2005 and 2006 so the town girls will not be short of big match
experience. Players like Louise Woods, Niamh Martin, Niamh O’Dea,
Naomi Carroll and Rachel McGann will really throw down the gauntlet
to the West Clare side and will leave no stone unturned in attempting
to bring the championship trophy back to Ennis for the first time
since 2004. So it’s a game of youth against experience under lights
at Coolmeen on Friday and everybody in Clare ladies Football eagerly
awaits referee Michael Talty throwing in the ball at 7.15pm. For
skill and entertainment this could be the game of the year in Clare
ladies football and a large attendance is anticipated.

On Saturday afternoon Coolmeen and Kilmihil square up to each other
to battle for the B crown and this game also has all the ingredients
of an exciting tussle. Coolmeen have been bolstered by the addition
of Eimear O’Connor to their squad this year. Eimear captained The
Banner to All Ireland Féile Division one glory in 2006 and also
starred in Clare’s U-16 All Ireland team this year. Niamh O’Connell
was also a panellist on this team as was Sinéad Moloney. Add in
Eimear Greene and Clare intermediate player Ciara Cleary and you
can see a formidable team emerging. Kilmihil will not be without
their stars either however and an especial threat will be the Considine
sisters Eimear and Ailish. Eimear was many people’s player of the
match in Clare’s U-16 All Ireland final against Sligo and is a superb
athlete and one of the most stylish players in Clare today and is
tipped as a definite prospect for Clare’s intermediate team in the
coming year. Her younger sister Ailish scored 1-6 in this year’s
Clare Intermediate final against West Clare Gaels and she will again
pose a threat in front of goals on Saturday. Siobhán Egan, Elaine
O’Halloran, Sharon O’Gorman, Deirdre waters and Roisín Garry are
other Kilmihil players that will prove a match for any opposition
and will be expecting to do well on Saturday. So two great games
are in prospect this weekend.

Experience may be the key to picking the Minor A winners and Miltown
have this in spades. Expect a big effort from The Banner but the
Minor A cup could well be heading west again come nine o’clock or
so on Friday. Saturday’s game will also go down to the wire but
again Coolmeen have the more experienced look about them and should
have a point or two to spare at the final whistle. Also of interest
to Clare football supporters will be the gala banquet and medal
presentation evening for the victorious U-16 team. His event will
take place at The West County Hotel at 7.30pm on Friday November
30th and a limited number of tickets are still available.

Priced at €30.00 for adults and €15.00 for children, tickets can
be reserved by contacting county PRO Dr. Paul McKenna at 086-6036385.
Clubs are also reminded to return their notices of motion and their
nominations for board officership ahead of next months AGM. All
correspondence to Michael Fitzpatrick, County Board Secretary.

Dr. Paul McKenna, PRO Clare Ladies Football www.bannerladiesfootball.com
mckennapc@eircom.net