*Sinead Considine. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
CLARE’S ladies footballers let a one point lead slip falling to a two point defeat to Kildare in what is their second home loss in as many weekends.
Kildare 0-09
Clare 0-07
Venue: Cooraclare
A far better performance than last week’s defeat to Wexford still wasn’t enough as a late Kildare scoring spree secures the visitors a vital victory.
This was as close as the final scoreline suggests and in an almost championship like encounter Clare will ultimately feel hard done by as they were the better team for most of this entertaining round three contest.
In a tight tense opening half the visitors opened the scoring with a well taken Lara Curran point inside three minutes. Clare settled though and two converted Chloe Moloney frees followed before the outstanding Roisin Byrne levelled the game. Lizzie Roche then put Clare in front before we had a huge talking point as a long delivery from Chloe Moloney was superbly fisted to the net by Fidelma Marrinan. The umpires raised the green flag only for referee Ciaran Groome to overrule them and declare it a square ball.
Chloe Moloney then kicked an absolute peach before landing a free either side of two Roisin Byrne frees and Clare headed to the dressing rooms leading by a solitary point on a 0-5 to 0-4 scoreline.
The second period was had a stop start feel to it as almost any time there was player contact the referee stopped play and restarted with a throw in. This seemed to prevent any team gathering momentum but it was Eimear Keane who got the first point of that second period with a super kick on the run in the thirty seventh minute. We had to wait a further twelve minutes for the games next score when centre forward Roisin Byrne kicked a beauty from play in the forty ninth minute.
There was a real intensity to the game and plenty of hard but fair tackling by both. Clare looked on course for victory when Fidelma Marrinan landed a beauty in the 56th minute to give Clare a 0-7 to 0-6 lead. However the Clare players were visibly tiring and when Roisin Byrne converted a 58th minute free a draw looked the likeliest outcome.
Clare though would lose the all important kick out and were punished when full forward Neasa Dooley kicked over. Almost unbelievably Clare would lose the next kick out also in almost identical fashion with Byrne kicking over what turned out to be the final score.
A rough defeat for the Banner although they will take heart from a much better display than seven days earlier.
There was some notable performances from Chloe Moloney, Siofra Ní Chonaill and Grainne Harvey in particular but there is still work to be done as again Clare lacked a real scoring threat in the inside line.
Scorers for Clare: Chloe Moloney 0-4(3f),Eimear Keane, Fidelma Marrinan, Lizzy Roche 0-1 each
Scorers for Kildare: Roisin Byrne 0-7(4f),Neasa Dooley,Lara Curran 0-1 each
KILDARE
16: Mary Hulgriane (Moorefield)
2: Lara Gilbert (Kildangan Nurney)
3: Laoise Lenihan (Kill)
4: Lauren Burke (Naas)
5: Grainne Kenneally (Eadestown)
6: Ruth Sergeant (Eadestown)
7: Sarah Munnelly (Conley)
8: Grace Clifford (Eadestown)
9: Aoife Rattigan (Cappagh)
10: Lara Curran (Miltown)
11: Roisin Byrne (Sarsfields)
12: Hazel McLoughin (Eadestown)
13: Ellen Dowling (Suncroft)
14: Neasa Dooley (Athy)
15: Claire Sullivan (Carbury)
Subs:
28: Roisin Forde (Maynooth) for L Curran (38)
17: Amy Larn (Castlemitchell) for C Sullivan (49)
27: Mia Doherty (Leixlip) for S Munnelly (54)
19: Ciara Price (Sarsfields) for E Dowling (54)
CLARE
1: Amy Lenihan (St.Josephs Doora Barefield)
2: Orla Devitt (Éire Óg)
3: Siofra Ní Chonaill (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield)
4: Grainne Harvey (West Clare Gaels)
5: Louise Griffin (Fergus Rovers)
6: Caoimhe Harvey (West Clare Gaels)
7: Aine Keane (St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay)
8: Sinead Considine (Liscannor)
9: Chloe Moloney (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
10: Eimear Keane (St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay)
11: Fidelma Marrinan (West Clare Gaels)
12: Amy Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
13: Lizzy Roche (Burren Gaels)
14: Cliodhna Blake (Doonbeg)
15: Megan Downes (Cooraclare)
SUBS:
29: Ciara McCarthy (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Sexton (53)
25: Joanna Doohan (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for E Keane (59)
Referee: Ciaran Groome Offaly
