*Kilmihil goalkeeper Micaela Glynn stops a Kilmurry Ibrickane attack. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Banner Ladies got their title defence of the Clare senior football ladies football championship off to a winning start with Kilmihil and St Josephs Doora/Barefield also securing first round victories.
Laura Egan’s goal decisive
Kilmihil 1-10
Kilmurry-Ibrickane 0-10
Venue: Pairc Naomh Mhuire, Quilty
A goal from Laura Egan twenty minutes into the game proved crucial as Kilmihil overcame last year’s intermediate champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane in this first round Clare ladies senior championship tie.
The goal came after a Chloe Moloney penalty at the other end was saved by Micaela Glynn in the Kilmihil goals.
Becky Mahon top scored in this tie with 0-7, five from frees while Edel McNamara scored the other three points. Chloe Moloney scored 0-6 for the home side with Karen Galvin accounting for the remaining four.
Kilmihil: Micaela Glynn; Cathy Keating, Deirbhle Higgins, Rosie Currane; Zoe Ryan, Ellie O’Gorman, Kate Coughlan; Laura Egan (1-0), Chloe Devitt; Sara Browne, Caitriona Callinan, Aoife McNamara; Edel McNamara (0-3), Becky Mahon (0-7 5f), Carol Browne.
Subs: Katie Mullen for C. Browne; Katie O’Halloran for C. Devitt, Caitriona O’Gorman for S. Browne.
Kilmurry/Ibrickane: Katie McMahon; Jessica Doohan, Rebecca Doohan, Rachel Tubridy; Maeve Coughlan; Karen Coughlan, Emma Coughlan; Siofra O’Dea; Joanna Doohan; Ciara McCarthy; Sophie Daly, Chloe Moloney (0-6, 3f); Catlyn O’Connor; Karen Galvin (0-4), Amy Sexton;
Subs: Maura Garvey for S. O’Dea; Ellie Hanrahan for S. Daly Ellie Hanrahan
Referee: John O’Connell
Champions on the march again
Banner 4-12
West Clare Gaels 1-8
Venue: Pairc Eoin, Cross
Title holders Banner ladies got their search for another title off to a winning start when they accounted for West Clare Gaels.
The third quarter proved to be the decisive period in this game as the winners outscored their opponents 1-6 to 0-1 having led at half time on a score of 3-5 to 0-7.
Niamh O’Dea accounted for her side’s opening two goals with the other goals coming from Aoibheann Malone and Louise Woods.
Fidelma Marrinan was the home side’s goalscorer and she added two points while Caoimhe Harvey scored 0-4 of their total.
West Clare travel to play Cooraclare this week and this is a repeat of last year’s semi-final while the champions will entertain Kilmurry-Ibrickane.
Banner Ladies: Emma O’Driscoll; Siobhan McMahon, Claire Hehir, Leah Talty; Lisa Ryan, Aoife O’Dea, Sinead O’Keeffe; Laurie Ryan. Louise Henchy; Louise Woods, Niamh O’Dea, Sara Ni Cheallaigh; Aoibhin Ryan, Aoibheann Malone, Aoife Keane;
Subs: Shonagh Enright for A. Ryan; Sinead Power for L. Ryan; Alannah McNamara for N. O’Dea, Anna Marie Meenaghan for E O’Dea; Shannon Donovan for Henchy.
West Clare Gaels: Emma McMahon; Sophie O’Callaghan, Sara Marrinan, Ciara McQuaid; Sorracha Griffin, Becky Madigan, Aine Moloney; Grainne Harvey, Colette Keniry; Siobhan Keane, Roisin Brew, Caoimhe Harvey; Fidelma Marrinan, Nell Walsh, Aoife Lynch
Subs: Ruth Clancy for S. O’Callaghan; Niamh Larner for N. Walsh
Referee: Frank Culleton
A winning start for Doora/Barefield
St. Josephs Doora/Barefield 4-8
Cooraclare 2-8
Venue: Gurteen
St. Josephs got their challenge for the Clare ladies senior football title off to a winning start when they overcame the challenge of Cooraclare.
Three first half goals set the Doora-Barfield side up for this victory.Cooraclare opened the scoring but Caoimhe Hoey struck for the winner’s first goal and further majors from Amy Lenihan and Ashling Hannon helped the home side to lead at the break, 3-4 to 1-2.
Amy Lenihan found the net again in the second half for the winners who travel to play Kilmihil this weekend.
Megan Downes scored 1-3 for Cooraclare, the goal coming from the penalty spot while their other goal came from Shauna O’Gorman.
St. Josephs; Caoilfhinn Ni Chonaill; Kate Dillon, Megan O’Brien, Maeve O’Connor; Emer Casey, Ciara Cahill, Siofra Ni Chonaill; Ashling Reidy, Emer Hanrahan; Chloe Towey, Ashlinng Hannon, Ciara Guilfoyle; Muirne Ni Chonaill, Caoimhe Hoey, Amy Lenihan;
Subs: Hannah Meaney for C. Hoen (inj), Hannah Doyle for C. Guilfoyle; Lyndsey Clarke for E. Hanrahan; Orla Hoey for E. Casey
Cooraclare; Anne Marie Callinan; Aifric O Neill, Aisling Morrissey, Saskia Morrissey; Sinead Lillis, Laura Quinlivan, Katie Lillis; Shauna O Gorman, Roisin Looney; Anna Mae Killeen, Nicola Keating, Megan Downes; Aimee McNamara, Katie Cronin, Aoibhe Hehir;
Sub: Caoilfhinn Morrissey for Katie Cronin
Referee: Martin Nolan
Intermediate:
In the intermediate championship, Liscannor had a narrow 2-11 4-04 win over Cúil Gaels on Sunday morning while Kilrush Shamrocks were deserving 3-09 0-07 winners against Doonbeg.
Junior A:
Banner Ladies’ second side overcame Wolfe Tones 6-07 3-05 in Shannon with Kildysart edging out Clarecastle on a score of 4-12 3-09. It finished 1-18 3-08 in favour of Clooney/Quin versus St Josephs Doora/Barefield.
Division 4:
Fergus Rovers were crowned Division 4 League winners when they defeated Wolfe Tones 1-14 1-08 in a replay at Shannon.
Fergus Rovers: Rita Donnelly, Ciara Cullen, Gillian Griffin, Christina Hill, Emma Keating, Carmel McGuane, Aisling O’Rourke, Maeve McCarthy 0-2, Ellen Griffin, Clara Meaney 0-1, Aine Kelly 1-8 (0-6f), Fiona Breen, Fiona Kelly (capt), Aine McSweeney 0-1, Myra Talty 0-2.
Subs used: Ruth Neylon, Hanna Mai Neylon, Theresa Hill
Referee: Noel Quinn