Cooraclare get off to a winning start

Match Report 2007 Clare Ladies Senior Football Championship Round
One

Date: Sunday, July 15th Venue: Kilmihil

Referee: John Brew

Cooraclare 3 – 8 The Banner 2 – 9

This game got off to a blistering start and a score line more
suited to another code pertained after just ten minutes of the
game when Cooraclare led their Ennis rivals on a score of three
goals to two. Playing into the breeze reigning champions Cooraclare
dominated the early exchanges and were rewarded in the second
minute when the evergreen Eithne Morrissey scored the game’s opening
goal with a blistering deceiving effort when cutting in from the
right wing. Almost from the kickout the Banner levelled affairs
when Niamh Keane took possession at the end of a sweeping move
and cut through the Cooraclare defence to rifle the ball to the
net. The goal fest continued in the fifth minute with Ann Marie
Callinan leaving her marker for dead to slot home past Emma O’Driscoll
in the Banner goals and three minutes later Helen Quinn did likewise
for goal number three for the Sky Blues. Credit the Banner however
as a minute later Niamh Keane found the net for a second time
to leave the score at three goals to two after ten minutes.

Following this frenetic start the game settled and the Ennis girls
began to dominate affairs especially in the midfield region and
had good points from Louise Henchy and Sonia Maher to leave just
a single point between the sides after fifteen minutes. The intensity
of the game dropped at this stage and both teams found scores
hard to come by and indeed we had to wait until the twenty ninth
minute for the next score – a Cooraclare point from Helen Quinn.
The Banner then hit a purple patch entering first half injury
time and rattled off three points without reply from Niamh Keane
(2) and Louise Henchy to give themselves a one point interval
lead at 2 – 5 to 3 – 1.

The Banner opened brightly in the second half and extended their
lead to two points with another Keane point on thirty four minutes.
Cooraclare then took charge of affairs and ratted over three unanswered
points from Niamh Chambers, Eithne Morrissey and the newly introduced
Rachel Garry. Sonia Maher levelled affairs for the Ennis team
on forty eight minutes and when Niamh Chambers kicked Cooraclare
to the front again a minute later it was for a lead they would
not relinquish from here to the end. Chambers and Helen Quinn
further extended Cooraclare’s lead before Emma O’Driscoll pulled
one back for the Banner with five minutes remaining. Cooraclare
were dominant at this stage but were guilty of poor shooting in
front of goals and indeed had their goalkeeper to thank for two
excellent saves in the closing period to keep them in the match.

Entering the final minutes Sonia Maher and Rachel Garry exchanged
points but try as they could the Ennis team could not overhaul
their Western rivals. This is the fourth time the Ennis team have
fallen to Cooraclare in senior championship football since their
promotion to senior ranks two seasons ago and again this is a
match they could have won but the experience and confidence of
the girls from the West again won out in what was a very entertaining
contest. Referee John Brew had a good match in what was a tough
but very sporting affair.

Scorers: Cooraclare: Helen Quinn 1-2, Eithne Morrissey 1-1, Ann
Marie Callinan 1-0, Niamh Chambers 0-3, Rachel Garry 0-2.

The Banner: Niamh Keane 2-3, Sonia Maher 0-3, Louise Henchy 0-2,
Emma O’Driscoll 0-1.

Dr. Paul McKenna, Sec/PRO, The Banner Ladies Football Club www.bannerladiesfootball.com
Tel: 086 6036385