Clare v/s Waterford Match Report
By Anthony Newman
Clare 1-12
Waterford 1-2
Clare were worthy winners of the Sharon O’Keeffe U16 C ladies football final at Banteer on Saturday.
The Banner were deserving winners, despite the best efforts of a Waterford side who battled to the end and never gave up.
Both teams had some outstanding displays with Olivia Darcy, Mairead Queally, and Lauren Morrissey in top form for the winners.
Above them was Aoibhinn Donnelly, who was simply outstanding for Clare. She was all over the pitch and it was fitting she got the last score of the game for her side.
Waterford can’t be faulted for their efforts but just came up against a better side on the day, who made full use of their wind advantage in the first half to build up a score that it was always going to be difficult to come back from.
For them Kate Hennessy, Siobhan Lynch, Kate O’Donnell and Lauren O’Connor led by example.
Special mention must be made of the fact that Waterford had 14 subs and made sure that all got a game, a nice touch by their management.
The Deise took the lead three minutes in, when a quick free from Chloe Royle found Gabriella Connolly to point.
Clare didn’t take long to hit back with Darcy getting their first point, quickly followed by one from Elke Downes.
With 16 minutes gone Darcy got her second, to make it 0-3 to 0-1.
Two from Queally increased their lead, before Darcy got their goal.
With 24 minutes gone Darcy took on the Waterford defence to find the back of the net, to make it 1-5 to 0-1.
Morrissey added a point and just before half-time Charley Duggan scored to see the Banner lead by 1-7 to 0-1 at the break.
Straight from the restart Morrissey increased their lead, with Sarah Corey also scoring after 33 minutes.
Katie Troy and Morrissey both pointed, to see Clare leading by 1-11 to 0-1 after 40 minutes.
Kate Mannix pointed from a free for Waterford as they tried to get back in contention.
Donnelly pointed for Clare and with the last kick of the game Hennessy scored a goal for Waterford, a deserved score for their efforts over the hour.
But in the end Clare were deserving winners of an entertaining game.
Scorers for Clare: O Darcy 1-2, L Morrissey 0-3, M Queally 0-2, E Downes, C Duggan, S Corey, K Troy, A Donnelly 0-1 each.
Waterford: K Hennessy 1-0, G Connolly, K Mannix (f) 0-1 each.
CLARE: A Daly; A Donnelly, V O’Connor, K Murphy; C Kelly, A Considine, K Feeley; O Darcy, M Queally; C McMahon, C Duggan, E Downes; A Shannon, L Morrissey, S Corey.
Subs: K Troy for C McMahon, E Ryan for E Downes, H O’Malley for C Duggan, A Glynn for L Morrissey, M Coughlan for A Daly.
WATERFORD: A Power; A Casey, L O’Connor, K O’Donnell; A Dunphy, S Lynch, H Healy; A O’Connell, T Burden; C Royle, K Hennessy, R Keohane; K Mannix, G Connolly, A Gaffney.
Subs: K Murphy for T Burden, E Keane for A O’Connell, A Walsh for A Dunphy, A Keevans for R Keohane, S O’Dea for C Royle, A Brett for A Casey, M Costin for G Connolly, C Hickey for K O’Donnell, K Cullinane for A Power, L O’Grady for L O’Connor, A Kiely for K Mannix, A Brett for A Gaffney, C Whelan for H Healy, R Keohane for E Keane.
Referee: Grainne Sands, Down.
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Kerry v/s Limerick Match Report
By Anthony Newman
Kerry 2-8
Limerick 1-6
Kerry won the Sharon O’Keeffe U16 B final following a hard-fought win over Limerick at Banteer on Saturday.
The Kingdom were made to battle all the way by Limerick who kept going to the end and never gave up.
The game was close at half time, with the winners in front by a point. But in the second half huge credit must go to their defence who stepped up their game and made life difficult for the Limerick forwards.
For the winners the likes of Aisling Quirke, Holly Costello, Edie Corkery and Aoife Wright were in top form, but this was an overall impressive team display.
Limerick gave it their all, with Eve Egan, Ciara McCarthy and Loren Healy the pick of their side.
But the difference over the hour were the two goals that Kerry got, both from long balls in that deceived the Limerick defence.
Costello put Kerry in front early on, with Lucy Collins replying for Limerick, both scores coming from frees.
Costello got her second to put Kerry in front before Limerick were awarded a penalty.
Egan put McCarthy in on goal, but she was fouled, with the former taking the penalty.
Her effort went just over the bar, to make it 0-2 apiece after 14 minutes.
Corkery pointed for the winners, with Egan replying to see the sides level again.
With 17 minutes gone Egan took on the Kerry defence, beating several defenders before finding the back of the net, to make it 1-3 to 0-3.
McCarthy added a point to increase their lead, before Amy Moriarty replied for Kerry.
With 25 minutes played Kerry were back on level terms when a high ball in from Emma Ni Ruairc deceived everyone and ended up in the back of the net, to make to 1-4 each.
McCarthy put Limerick back in front, but late points from Moriarty and Ni Ruairc saw the Kingdom leading by 1-6 to 1-5 at half time.
Scorers were scarce at the start of the second half, and it took until the 43rd minute for the first to arrive, with Wright scoring for Kerry.
Three minutes later they got their second goal, from another high ball in from Wright dropping to the back of the net, to make it 2-7 to 1-5.
Clionagh Coffey added a point to increase their lead, before Keelin Williams got Limerick’s only score of the second half as Kerry ran out deserving winners.
Scorers for Kerry: H Costello 1-2 (1f), E Ni Ruairc 1-1, A Moriarty 0-2, E Corkery, A Wright, C Coffey 0-1 each.
Limerick: E Egan 1-1, C McCarthy 0-3 (0-1 pen), L Collins (f), K Williams 0-1 each.
KERRY: V O’Neill; E Kelliher, R Ni Ógáin, C Moore; A Noonan, A Quirke, L Lawlor; A Wright, L Crushell; C Coffey, H Costello, E Ni Ruairc; S McHugh, E Corkery, A Moriarty.
Subs: L Sheehy for E Corkery (37), C Crodubh for E Kelliher (42), E Piogoid for L Crushell (55), L O’Keeffe for E Ni Ruairc (59), S Hussey for A Moriarty (60).
LIMERICK: E Reidy; N Reidy, L Healy, E Murnane; E Dowling, K Riall, M Kitson; S Hanley, L Healy; L Collins C McCarthy, S Collins; R Farrell, E Egan, M Conneely.
Subs: A O’Kelly for S Collins (ht), A McNamara for L Collins, E Halley for M Conneely (both 48), K Williams for M Kitson (50), C Young for S Hanley (58).
Referee: David Grogan, Tipperary.
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Tipperary v/s Cork Match Report
By Anthony Newman
Tipperary 2-10
Cork 2-9
Tipperary won the Sharon O’Keeffe U16 A ladies football final at Banteer on Saturday in dramatic fashion.
With only two minutes remaining they were two points down and at that point they would have taken the draw.
But three late points saw Tipp emerge winners after a highly entertaining final.
For most of the tie there was little between the sides until midway through the second half when Cork took a 2-8 to 1-6 lead and looked like going on to win it.
But a second goal from the simply outstanding Róisín Browne put them back within two points and all of a sudden, the momentum started to swing in Tipp’s favour.
Huge credit must go to the winners who never gave up, led by the likes of Browne, Saoirse Deegan and Ella Kelleher.
Cork will rue missed chances but also must be applauded for bringing on all their subs to ensure all players got valuable game time over the hour.
Emily Carey put Cork in front, with Browne equalising for Tipp, Lucy O’Brien got Cork’s second score, with Browne again replying for Tipp to make it 0-2 each.
Lauren Trehy put Tipp in front for the first time, before two from Katie McGann put the Rebels back in front, 0-4 to 0-3.
With 15 minutes gone Cork got the first goal of the tie as Michela Moynihan finding the back of the net, to make it 1-4 to 0-3.
Browne pointed for Tipp, before they were back on level terms. Ella O’Donnell was fouled and Sinead Nugent made no mistake from the resulting penalty to make it 1-4 each.
Just before the half time whistle Meabh Ní Chéilleachair scored from a free for Cork to see them lead 1-5 to 1-4 at the break.
Browne had the sides level, before Moynihan put Cork back in front. Anna Leahy replied for Tipp before Cork had their best spell of the game.
Mia Carroll pointed, before Moynihan got Cork’s second goal and she quickly followed that with a point, to make it 2-8 to 1-6.
But back came Tipp with a magnificent goal from Browne, after 47 minutes, to make it 2-8 to 2-6.
Browne pointed from a free to make it a one-point game, before Ava Murphy replied for the Rebels.
They led 2-9 to 2-8 with time running out, but Tipp weren’t finished yet.
Leahy put one between the sides, before Deegan levelled it and the same player got the game winning score to see Tipp win by a point, after a highly entertaining game.
Scorers for Tipperary: R Browne 1-5 (4f), S Nugent 1-0 (1-0 pen), A Leahy, S Deegan 0-2 each, L Trehy 0-1.
Cork: M Moynihan 2-2 (2f), K McGann 0-2, E Carey, L O’Brien, M Ní Chéilleachair, M Carroll, A Murphy 0-1 each.
TIPPERARY: M Cummins; A Mason E Kelleher S Strang; M Cody, N Nugent, R Bateman; I Comerford, S Deegan; E O’Donnell, R Browne, S Nugent; A Leahy, F O’Dwyer, L Trehy.
Subs: L O’Neill for M Cody, S O’Toole for I Comerford, K Flanagan for E O’Donnell, E O’Shea for S Nugent, K O’Meara for S Strang, E Hayes for N Nugent.
CORK: S Canty; C Ambrose, N Ni Loingsigh S Erangey; G O’Sullivan, P Murphy, L Mylod; N Doyle, L O’Brien; K McGann, M Carroll, L O’Neill; E Carey, M Moynihan, M Ní Chéilleachair.
Subs: A Hanly for K McGann, K Collins for P Murphy, M Lawlor for M Carroll, S McAuley for S Canty, M O’Sullivan for S Erangey, N O’Leary for E Carey, A Murphy for M Moynihan, K Clifford for L O’Neill, O Murphy for L O’Brien, T Browne for G O’Sullivan, M Allen for L Mylod, R Groarke for M Ní Chéilleachair, L Sheehan for C Ambrose.
Referee: Maurice Murphy, Kerry.
