*Kilmurry Ibrickane players celebrate. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
KILMURRY IBRICKANE have won the Clare LGFA senior championship for the very first time.
Kilmurry Ibrickane 3-8
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 1-10
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
Leaving Certificate student Ellie Hanrahan stuck for 2-2 as Kilmurry Ibrickane took the spoils in their maiden senior championship final appearance.
Her fourteenth minute major gave Kilmurry Ibrickane the lead for the second time in the game and they never fell behind from here to the finish in what was an entertaining and high quality decider.
Having dethroned Banner Ladies and ended the Ennis based club’s drive for five titles in a row, to come up short in the decider will be a sickener for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield.
A disallowed goal for Aoibhin O’Loughlin right before the stroke of half time was a vital moment in the game, had it stood The Parish would have led by a point heading into the dressing room but instead they trailed by two. John O’Connell consulted with his umpires before they decided the goal would not stand, O’Loughlin appeared to have ran into the square as opposed to standing in it waiting but there was still thirty minutes of football subsequent to this for Doora/Barefield to make amends.
Roisin Fowley started with intent for Doora/Barefield and had two points inside the first eleven minutes while at the other end Chloe Moloney converted two frees.
Ciara Hickey was a determined hard working figure over the hour and her efforts paved the way for the first goal of the game, she had possession and used her pace to good effect when working the ball down the line before she was fouled. The free saw Ciara McCarthy link up with Chloe Moloney who gave an excellent ball across the danger area which was caught by Hanrahan and finished to the back of the net on fourteen minutes.
Aisling Reidy responded with a trademark lung-busting run before splitting the posts with a swift response for Doora/Barefield.
Eight minutes elapsed until the next score which was another major for Hanrahan. This time a dropping shot from McCarthy was caught by Hanrahan and finished to the net, creating a four point margin.
At the other end, Doora/Barefield managed to raise a green flag when Aoibhin O’Loughlin showed sublime reactions to pounce on a dropping shot from Fowley and nudge the ball to the net and reignite their challenge.
Moloney replied at the other end with a point before O’Loughlin’s second goal was disallowed in advance of the half time whistle.
Doora/Barefield needed to start the second half with strongly, they didn’t but nonetheless they were on level terms by the forty seventh minute. Three Eabha O’Driscoll frees plus Fowley’s third point of the afternoon saw them equalise.
Kilmurry Ibrickane with well worked scores from Amy Sexton and Joanna Doohan to put their noses back in front, although O’Driscoll reduced the deficit to a single score again on fifty four minutes, the West Clare side effectively killed off the contest when teenager Kayla Darcy produced remarkable speed as she linked up with Ellie Hanrahan before tucking the ball to the back of the net to send them on their way to glory.
Match-ups were of big interest in advance of the Clare SFC final but the duel between Chloe Moloney and Siofra Ní Chonaill was the greatest battle of the day in Cusack Park. They had a fine tussle with Ní Chonáill coming up out of defence with plenty of ball but Moloney had her hand on some of the most important scores in the game, most notably Hanrahan’s first goal.
Joint managers Patrick O’Connor and Niall Hickey must be applauded for the manner in which they put a plan in place to nullify Eabha O’Driscoll. The full forward had been arguably the player of the championship and to show the threat of the teenager, Kilmurry Ibrickane worked on drills specifically designed to curb her influence, it worked as they kept her scoreless from play and planted Ciara Hickey directly in front of her to cut that supply.
More clinical in front of goal, Kilmurry Ibrickane had just one wide from twelve shots on goal over the hour. They had their homework done and were spurred on by a strong local support who were in attendance for the double header in Cusack Park.
Best for the winners were Ciara Hickey, Ellie Hanrahan, Joanna Doohan, Chloe Moloney, Kayla Darcy, Amy Sexton and Ciara McCarthy.
As the game wore on, Doora/Barefield tired and this was when they needed to produce a kick but this also coincided with some basic unforced errors in defence which saw possession coughed up far too easily. Aisling Reidy was exceptional for The Parish, as ever she left everything on the field producing several inspiring runs up the field, Aoibhin O’Loughlin, Roisin Fowley, Siofra Ní Chonaill and Hannah Doyle also did well for Paddy Frawley’s side.
Accepting the trophy from Clare LGFA Chairman Seán Lenihan, Kilmurry Ibrickane’s captain Chloe Moloney said it was a great honour to captain her club to senior championship success twenty two years after her father completed the same feat with the club’s senior footballers.
Scorers Kilmurry Ibrickane: E Hanrahan (2-2), C Moloney (0-3 2f), K Darcy (1-0), C McCarthy (0-1), A Sexton (0-1), J Doohan (0-1)
Scorers Doora/Barefield: E O’Driscoll (0-5 5f), A O’Loughlin (1-1), R Fowley (0-3), A Reidy (0-1).
Kilmurry Ibrickane:
1: Katie McMahon
2: Rachel Tubridy
4: Rebecca Doohan
3: Aoife Martin
5: Ciara Hickey
12: Dympna Garrahy
6: Joanna Doohan
7: Niamh Miller
9: Sophie Daly
8: Ciara McCarthy
10: Kayla Darcy
11: Amy Sexton
15: Karen Galvin
14: Chloe Moloney
13: Ellie Hanrahan
Subs:
24: Caitlyn O’Connor for Garrahy (43)
17: Rebecca Sexton for Galvin (59)
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield:
1: Amy Lenihan
5: Anna Courtney
3: Siofra Ní Chonaukk
4: Aisling McMahon
13: Shauna Moloney
2: Lucy Power
6: Hannah Doyle
7: Lyndsay Clarke
9: Eimear Clune
8: Aisling Reidy
10: Sophie Torpey
11: Roisin Fowley
12: Aoibhinn O’Loughlin
15: Aisling Hannan
14: Eabha O’Driscoll
Subs:
23: Meadhbh O’Connor for McMahon (40)
28: Fiona Tuohy for Hannan (57)
Referee: John O’Connell (Cooraclare)(
