Match Report Munster Club Ladies Football Intermediate Semi-Final

Match Report Munster Club Ladies Football Intermediate Semi-Final Date: Sat. 14th Venue: Newmarket on Fergus Cooraclare (Clare) 4 – 9 Mungret St. Paul’s (Limerick) 1 – 7

Fresh from their splendid victory over The Banner
in last week’s Clare county-final Cooraclare continued their fine
form with an emphatic win over the Limerick representatives Mungret
in this provincial semi-final played at sunny Newmarket on Saturday.

Mungret opened the scoring with a second minute free from Siobhán
Stenson but this was cancelled by a similar score from Noreen McGuane
two minutes later. From the kick out Cooraclare regained possession
and a quickly taken free from the alert Bernie Kelly put team captain
Eithne Morrissey through on goal. Eithne made no mistake and she
rattled the rigging with a powerful shot. Mungret replied swiftly
with a point from mid-fielder Rose Giltenane before Cooraclare conjured
up a tremendous passing movement to put Patricia Callinan through
for their second goal of the game on ten minutes. Though playing
into a stiff breeze Mungret continued to take the game to Cooraclare
and were rewarded with points on eleven and nineteen minutes from
Stephanie Ankatell and their player of the match the ever dangerous
Siobhán Stenson to leave the score 2 – 1 to 0 – 4 after twenty
minutes of play.

Noreen McGuane settled the ship for Cooraclare a minute later before
goal poacher supreme Helen Quinn snook in behind the Mungret defence
to score yet another goal for the Clare side. This score should
have rattled Mungret but in fairness they stormed back at the Clare
champions and following another Stenson point on twenty four minutes
they set up and excellent passing movement which left the solid
Cooraclare defence flatfooted for once and Hilary Long got through
for an excellent goal two minutes before the break. Stung by this
score Cooraclare immediately upped the tempo again and were rewarded
by two fine points from Noreen McGuane and Helen Quinn before the
break. At the half-time whistle the score thus read 3 – 4 to 1 –
5 in favour of Cooraclare.

With wind advantage in the second half Mungret looked to be well
in this game but just as in last week’s Clare county final Cooraclare
hit the field running in the second half and had closed out the
game within five minutes of the resumption with points from McGuane
and Morrissey and another goal from the magical boot of Helen Quinn.
These scores shattered whatever resolve the Limerick girls had and
Cooraclare dominated the remainder of the game with a display of
controlled football. Further points from McGuane (2) and Claire
Walsh were to follow while points from Olivia Giltenane and Stenson
completed the scoring for Mungret to leave the final score 4 – 9
to 1 – 7.

This was a fine display by the Clare champions and their overall
play was a good notch or two above their county final performance.
Hopefully there will be further improvement again ahead of next
weekend’s Munster final against either the Cork or Tipperary champions.

Cooraclare: Mairéad Griffin, Aifric O’Neill, Majella Lillis,
Fiona McMahon, Orla Kelly, Tammy Hehir, Monica Lillis, Bernie Kelly,
Eithne Morrissey-Liddane (1-1), Noreen McGuane (0-6), Claire Walsh-Moroney
(0-1), Áine Pyne, Helen Quinn (2-1), Elaine Griffin, Patricia
Callinan (1-0).

Subs Used: Rachel Garry, Sally Glynn.

Referee: Paddy White (Kerry).