Match Report Clare Minor B Final

Clare Ladies Football Board Press release   Match Report Clare Minor B Final Venue: Roslevan Date: Sunday November 26th. The Banner Ladies 9 – 7 Wolfe Tones 4 – 4

Wolfe Tones will look back on 2006 in general and The Banner Ladies
in particular with exasperation. Sunday’s Minor B final was the
third championship decider this year in which they went down to
the Ennis outfit. Having already lost the U-12 A & U-14 A finals
to Sunday’s rivals the girls in green and white came to Roslevan
determined to make a real challenge of it. However after a blistering
opening ten minutes from the Banner there was only going to be one
winner.

The Ennis team were in uncompromising mood as they attempted to
banish the painful memory of their previous week’s defeat to arch
rivals Miltown. Unfortunately for Wolfe Tones they were to feel
the brunt of the banner’s backlash. Immediately from the throw in
the Ennis team set out their stall and launched wave after wave
of attacks on the Shannon goals. Quick as you like they were rewarded
with goals on two, three and six minutes from Niamh O’Dea, Maria
Raftery and Catríona Connellan. The onslaught didn’t stop
there however and by the fifteenth minute the girls in saffron and
blue led by an incredible six goals to no score. By this stage corner
forward Marie Raftery has completed a hat trick and Catríona
Connellan had added a second. The Banner were dominant in all sectors
at this stage and especially so up the middle where captain Sara
Hoey at centre back and midfielders Eimear O’Connor and Aoife Griffin
were playing stormers. Add a sterling half forward display from
mary Tierney, Naomi Carroll and Niamh O’Dea into the mix and one
can see how the Tones were in trouble.

Following a Mary Tierney point for the Banner on seventeen minutes
Wolfe Tones opened their account with a Stephanie Regan free. In
fairness this score seemed to instil some confidence into the Tones
and from here to the interval they matched the Banner on a 1 – 2
to 1 – 3 score line. The Wolfe Tones goal was an excellent solo
effort from Regan while impressive wing forward Aisling Quinlan
added a brace of points. The Banner’s points came from Naomi Carroll,
Megan Hough and Mary Tierney while Eimear O’Connor got their goal.
The half time score read 7 – 4 to 1 – 3 in The Banner’s favour.

The second half opened with points from Tierney, Hough and Connellan
to a single reply from Aisling Quinlan for Wolfe Tones. Tenacious
corner forward Toni Lagan then produced a good goal for the Shannon
side on forty one minutes but this was cancelled by a superb Naomi
Carroll goal for the Banner midway through the half. Substitute
Rachel O’Brien then raised another green flag for the Tones but
yet again the Banner replied in similar manner with a Maeve McCarthy
goal. The Tones were unlucky when Stephanie Regan missed a penalty
on fifty six minutes but Stephanie made amends a minute later when
cracking home another good goal. This was the games final score
an when referee Johnny Hayes blew for full time the Banner were
convincing winners on a 9 – 7 to 4 – 4 score line. Credit Wolfe
Tones for a much improved second half performance in which they
outscored the winners by a single point. The damage was done in
the first half when the Banner Ladies were in full flight and just
that bit too hot to handle in the opening minutes for the slow starting
Shannon team.

Following the game Banner captain Sarah Hoey was presented with
the championship trophy by Clare Ladies Board Member Seán
Ó hÁodha.

The Banner: Sharon Bradley, Niamh Martin, Rachel McGann, Lorna
Higgins, Shonagh Enright, Sarah Hoey (capt.), Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear
O’Connor(1-0), Aoife Griffin, Niamh O’Dea (1-0), Mary Tierney (0-3),
Naomi Carroll (1-1), Marie Raftery (3-0), Catríona Connellan
(2-1), Megan Hough (0-2).

Subs: Lauren Dooley, Rebecca McNamara, Rachel Hobbs, Meave McCarthy
(1-0), Ciara McCarthy, Aidín Shannon, Amanda Carmody, Caoimhe
O’Dea, Rebecca Browne, Deirdre Kelleher, Laura Brennan, Laurie Ryan.

Wolfe Tones: Avril O’Dea, Gillian Flynn, Michelle Roughan, Kelly
Cunningham, Catherine Danagher, Stephanie McMakin, Ciara McCaul,
Kira Hannon, Regina Fennessey, Marie Cleary (0-1), Stephanie Regan
(2-1), Aishling Quinlan (0-2), Toni Lagan (1-0), Donna Gallery,
Eimear Ryan.

Subs: Rachel O’Brien (1-0).

Referee: Johnny Hayes (Fergus Rovers)