U14C All-Ireland Final Match Report

U14C All-Ireland Final

Kilkerrin-Clonbern, 30^th June 2012

Clare 3-10         Sligo 1-5

 

Clare’s ladies footballers brought home their second U14 All-Ireland title since 2009 by securing a convincing win over Sligo at Kilkerrin- Clonbern GAA Grounds in Co Galway last Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clare got off to a dream start when thanks to midfield domination in the first ten minutes by co-captain Katie Considine and Jennifer Markham, they had three points on the board inside the fifth minute courtesy of Cliodhna Blake (2) and Alex Potter.

A strong Sligo centre field that included Katie McDermott, Caron Griffin, Ciara Redmond and Leah Gannon put some lovely passages of play together and eventually levelled with a fine goal after ten minutes.

Clare’s Considine led the next attack with a point of her own from midfield and started another great passage of play that saw player of the match Cliodhna Blake rocket in a goal for her third score in fifteen minutes. Co-captain Chloe Moloney reinforced a determined Clare attack with a goal of her own at the start of the third quarter and working well with co-captain Considine and Caoimhe Harvey pointed again to open a nine point gap at the start of the second quarter 2-6 to 1-0.

Inevitably, Sligo were to respond to the Clare barrage and did so by mounting a four point offensive that had Clare reeling for a five minute spell as Griffin, Redmond and captain Hannah Walsh controlled the middle ground. A strong Sligo forward section which included Caitriona Cawley, Megan McCormack, Leah Gannon, Aimee Cawley Fox, Katie Gallagher and Denise Reagan kicked into action.

The Banner County’s Aine Murphy, Brid Foran, Ronya Bauman, Rebecca Doohan and Teresa O’Keeffe were under severe pressure from possibly the best opposition they have met this year and despite an immense work rate in the first half had no answer during this turbulent spell. Some character defining performances from the aforementioned eventually broke the siege but it was Melican’s move to midfield that injected the forward momentum that saw the ball go through Considine and Harvey to sharpshooter Aisling Meaney. Meaney’s important top drawer goal before the break restored an eight point cushion and delivered the killer punch from which Sligo would not recover.

Aoibhe King was also very industrious having a goal shot blocked down by the Sligo goalie Emma Healey and a goal disallowed for a perceived high boot. When Paul Fahy (Roscommon) called for the ball it was Clare 3-6 to Sligo’s 1-4 at half time.

An assured Clare team returned to the field with a great sense of urgency to kill off the game and this they duly did. Caoimhe Harvey’s long range shot was deflected over the bar in the first minute by Sligo’s custodian Healy. Some sterling work in midfield by Melican and Considine and backed up by half backs Rebecca Doohan, Brid Foran and Jennifer Markham, saw Clare pen in Sligo behind their own 45 yard line for a fifteen minute spell. Chloe Moloney dominated the proceedings in this period and added three strong points (1f) to the Clare cause forcing a twelve point gap between the finalists. Second half substitutions, Ciara Grogan in defence and forwards Chlodagh Larkin, Sharon Egan and Aishling Rouine brought fresh legs to the fight and continued forward pressure kept Sligo out of the Clare danger zone with several narrow misses by Rouine and Egan. A defiant Sligo pointed in the last score of the game just before Paul Fahy called proceedings to a halt with Clare taking the inaugural U14C cup for  Clare and Munster on a score-line of 3-10 to 1-5

Clare Panel : Aine Murphy, Brid Foran, Shauna Melican,  Caoimhe Harvey,  Patricia Foran (West Clare Gaels);  Ronya Baumann (Shannon Gaels); Katie Considine (Co-Capt), Aislinn Rouine (Liscannor); Chlodagh Larkin (Kilrush), Rebecca Doohan, Chloe Moloney (Co-Capt), Aoibhe King, AineCunningham (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Ciara Coughlan, Sharon Egan, Catriona O’Gorman         (Kilmihil), Aine McSweeney (Fergus Rovers), Aislinn Meaney, Alex          Potter, Mia Hanrahan (Doora/Barefield), Cliona Blake (Doonbeg), Alice O’Donnell, Ciara Grogan (Clooney/Quin), Teresa O’Keeffe, Jennifer Markham, Nicole Talty, Andrea O’Keeffe, Sinead Power (Banner Ladies).

Management Alan Copley, Johnny Hayes, Steve McMinn), Patsy Grogan.

 

Sligo Panel: Emma Healy, Aimee Oates, Lisa Mc Loughlin, Emily Mc Cormack, Denise Regan, Michelle Mc Namara (Drumcliff/Rosses Pt), Matea Leahy, CaronGriffin (Calry), Katie Mc Dermott, Shona Gorman (St Michael’s), Hannah Walsh, Laoise Mc Donagh, Belinda Mitchell, Mary Anne o Kennedy (St Nathy’s), GrainneEgan (St Mary’s), Caitriona Cawley, Leah Kelly (St Farnan’s), Leah Gannon (TC Gaels), Lauren Gallagher, Katie Gallagher, Megan mc Cormack (Eastern Harps), Aimee Cawley Fox (Eoghan Rua), Derbhla Jones, Sinead Mooney, Maeve Normanley (Tourlestrane), Ciara Redmond (Collera/Strandhill)

Management Edel Healy, Annette Kearns, Cammie Kennedy

 

Match Report: Alan Copley