Munster Ladies Clare v Waterford Minor Championship report

Championship fare as it should be.

Two evenly matched teams battling it out for provincial bragging
rights and the dubious honour of facing Cork in the semi-final.
Waterford and Clare gave an exhibition of football in this game
at Ballylanders, Co. Limerick on Wednesday last. Pride in the
county jersey mattered most for these young ladies as they stepped
forth in the Blue and White of the Déise and the Saffron and Blue
of the Banner County. Waterford started like a steam train and
completely overwhelmed the Clare girls in the opening half. With
little or no wind advantage they seemed home and hosed at half
time when leading 3 – 4 to 0 – 2. A local football sage knew better
however when he informed all present that Waterford were playing
into ‘the scoring goal’ in the first half. Few believed him but
with little more than ten minutes of the second-half played and
the score-line reading 3 – 4 to 1 – 6 one began to ponder about
the words of the local wag.

Indeed the second half was a ding dong battle and Clare must have
rued the many scoring opportunities they spurned in the opening
half as they tore the Waterford rearguard apart for much of this
second period. Credit the Déise girls however as they managed
to secure vital scores at pivotal periods in this most entertaining
second half. That Waterford ran out eventual winners mattered
little to Clare. Their second half performance had restored pride
in their county jersey and yet had avoided the chasm of again
having to face Cork in the provincial semi-final. The prayers
and best wishes of all in Clare will be with Waterford in their
game against.

All said and done this was a really good night for ladies football
in Ballylanders.

Best for Clare on the evening were Eimear Considine (Kilmihil),
Eimear O’Connor (Coolmeen), Niamh Cavanagh (The Banner), Fiona
Lafferty (Miltown), Niamh Martin (The Banner) and Sharon Bradley
(The Banner)

Beir Bua,

Dr. Paul McKenna, PRO Clare Ladies Football