Munster PPS Senior ‘A’ Final
By Michael Heverin
St Joseph’s Spanish Point 4-12 (24)
Loreto Clonmel 3-13 (22)
In a game to grace any occasion, St Joseph’s Spanish Point held off a spirited fightback from Loreto Clonmel to win the Munster PPS Senior ‘A’ Final on the 4G astro-turf at Banteer Community Sportsfield on Saturday, January 31.
Despite torrential rain for much of the game, both sides produced a feast of football, hitting thirty two scores between them, including seven well-taken goals.
In the end, it was the Clare side that edged home by two points, their first Munster title since 1997 when they also went on to claim the All Ireland crown.
Clare senior county player Ellie Hanrahan was virtually unmarkable as she hit 2-7, including four frees, in a virtuoso performance, often back helping out in defence as well as hitting the vital scores upfront. Abi Kelly, another Clare panelist, was also in superb form as the Spanish Point girls played some sparkling football to cut through the Clonmel defence.
But the Tipperary side never gave up the fight. Trailing by six points at half time, 3-6 to 1-6, it quickly became nine points within twenty seconds of the restart when Abi Kelly put Allisha Ryan through for a brilliant goal.
But in a thrilling second half, Loreto scored two goals of their own from Ailíse Fitzgerald and substitute Zoe Tierney, and had the margin back to a single point entering injury time. As they pressed for the equaliser, the Spanish Point defence held firm and in a quick breakaway, team captain Aoibheann Ryan led by example to curl over a superb insurance score.
It was Loreto who had enjoyed the better start, Farrah Madigan pointing in the opening minute and Eavann Duffy following up with a lovely goal. It was a dream start, but within ten minutes, St Joseph’s had turned the game around to lead 2-2 to 1-1, with two goals in the space of a minute. Ellie Hanrahan pointed two frees and then Abi Kelly had their first goal following a mistake from Loreto goalkeeper Lily O’Donoghue. Loreto had no time to settle before Hanrahan fisted to the net after strong pressure on the Loreto defence.
Hanrahan pointed from play and a free before the Clonmel side had their first score in fifteen minutes. A crucial turnover from the outstanding Summer Peters started a move that ended with a free that Madigan pointed. She added another from a free before Spanish Point struck for their third goal, and it was no surprise that it was Hanrahan again on target, pouncing on a rebound to shoot past O’Donoghue.
When Abbie Gallagher fisted over a point and Emily Shannon pointed a free, it put the Clare side 3-6 to 1-3 ahead ten minutes before half time. But with St Joseph’s down to fourteen players when Aoibheann Ryan was sent to the bin, Loreto finished the half well with three unanswered points – Madigan from a free, Emma Cullinan from a free after Emma Kiely was just wide when on an advantage, and Madigan with the third when also on an advantage, to leave it 3-6 to 1-6 at the interval.
That quickly became 4-6 for St Joseph’s when Abi Kelly won the throw-in and put Allisha Ryan clear for a great goal. Clonmel hit back with a lovely team score, Chloe Keane and Farrah Madigan involved in the build-up for Emma Cullinan to point.
Simone Considine for St Joseph’s and Farrah Madigan, from a free, swapped points, before Clonmel dragged themselves back into contention. Eavann Duffy cut through the Clare defence with a superb run before finishing with a point, and then Ailíse Fitzgerald scoring a goal to make it 4-8 to 2-9, the move started by Summer Peters and continued by Rebecca Hewitt.
Ellie Hanrahan replied with a point, and another goal for Loreto looked on when Madigan was put clear but she shot over for a point. But their fourth goal did come midway through the half when another St Joseph’s player, Allisha Ryan, was in the bin. Chloe Keane was fouled following a great run from defence and when Madigan floated the free into the danger area, substitute Zoe Tierney fisted to the net to make it 4-9 to 3-10.
Again, Hanrahan responded with another point, before two in a row for Loreto brought the margin down to a single point – Madigan from a free following great work from Eavann Duffy and Rebecca Hewitt in the build-up, and Emma Cullinan in the next move.
The game was now in the melting pot as excitement reached fever-pitch among both sets of supporters in the stand. The remarkable Hanrahan calmed Spanish Point nerves again with a point, but the lead was down to the minimum again when Madigan pointed a free in injury time.
The next score would be crucial and it fell to St Joseph’s with Aoibheann Ryan hitting the clincher. Her next duty would be accepting the cup following a hard-earned but deserved provincial title
Scorers – St Joseph’s Spanish Point: Ellie Hanrahan 2-7, 0-4 frees; Abi Kelly 1-1; Allisha Ryan 1-0; Simone Considine, Abbie Gallagher, Aoibheann Ryan, Emily Shannon 0-1 each.
Loreto Clonmel: Farrah Madigan 0-9, 0-6 frees; Evann Duffy 1-1; Zoe Tierney, Ailíse Fitzgerald 1-0 each, Emma Cullinan 0-3, 0-1 free.
TEAMS
St Joseph’s Spanish Point: Ella Cushen, Emma Talty, Aoife Martin, Leah Darcy, Aine O’Keeffe, Simone Considine, Abbie Gallagher, Abi Kelly, Ide O’Connor, Allisha Ryan, Ellie Hanrahan, Aoibheann Ryan, Michaela Sexton, Emily Shannon, Kayla Talty Darcy. Sub: Emma Griffin for Shannon.
Loreto Clonmel: Lily O’Donoghue, Niamh Dunphy, Éire Grace, Grace Carrigan Smyth, Clodagh Hallinan, Sadhbh Hannifan, Summer Peters, Evann Duffy, Sarah Whelan, Chloe Keane, Emma Kiely, Ailíse Fitzgerald, Emma Cullinan, Farrah Madigan, Rebecca Hewitt. Sub: Zoe Tierney for Kiely.
Referee: Conor McCarthy (Cork)
