Clare take senior championship place with Waterford victory

Clare 3-10
Waterford 1-6

THE Clare senior camogie team put their disappointing run in the national league behind them on Sunday when they booked their place in Munster’s senior championship with a decisive win over Waterford.
Played in Ballygunnar, the Clare girls took the lead in the opening minute when Deirdre Murphy pointed from a free. Murphy and Róisín McMahon tacked on another two points from play and it was in the 12th minute that Waterford’s Karen Kelly registered their first point. Clare were unlucky not to raise the green flag from the resulting puck-out, which saw Fiona Lafferty collect in midfield and drive a long ball in to the forwards. It was collected by Norah Murphy but her shot hit the upright.
Lafferty then got her name on the scoreboard after again winning the puck-out and evading the Waterford defence to put another point on the board for Clare. Áine Lyng accounted for Waterford’s second score of the match with a well-taken free.
Lafferty was again to the fore in midfield, winning the puck-out and dropping the ball in to the forward line. Waterford goalie Clara Hogan batted away the shot on goal, which dropped into the hand of Norah Murphy, who this time scored. Clare added another four points from Deirdre Murphy and Danielle Sheedy, leaving the half-time score at 1-8 to 0-2 in favour of Clare.
Clare picked up in the second half where they had left off as Norah Murphy raised her second green flag of the day in the first minute of play, after Lafferty, who excelled for Clare all day in midfield, had again won the puck-out. Waterford responded with a point from a free before Deirdre Murphy again pointed for Clare. Waterford accounted for the next three scores, points from Áine Lyng and Karen Kelly and could have had a goal but for a great save by Susan Vaughan in the Clare goal. Deirdre Murphy pointed from a 45 in the 19th minute and Norah Murphy took a superb third goal in the 24th minute. Waterford upped the ante in the last few minutes and though Vaughan again pulled off a great save, Waterford grabbed a consolation goal from the rebound in the last minute of the game.
Clare’s defence on the day was superb, while Fiona Lafferty excelled in midfield, Deirdre Murphy and Norah Murphy were in top-scoring form up front.
Clare: Susan Vaughan; Aisling Hannon, Siobhán Lafferty, Eimear Considine; Carol Kaiser, Kate Lynch, Aiveen O’Shea; Róisín McMahon (0-1), Kelly McClean; Fiona Lafferty (0-1), Sharon McMahon, Deirdre Murphy (0-7); Mairéad Scanlon, Norah Murphy (3-0), Danielle Sheedy (0-1).
Subs: Shonagh Enright for Mairéad Scanlon, 37 minutes; Naomi Carroll for Danielle Sheedy, 42 minutes; Sarah Sherlock for Kelly McClean, 47 minutes; AnneMarie McMahon for Aiveen O’Shea, 51 minutes; Áine O’Brien for Sharon McMahon, 55 minutes.