Extra time goal gives ’Bridge U-16A title

CLARECASTLE was the venue for two highly entertaining matches in The Clare Champion U-16 camogie championship on Saturday last. Extra time was required to decide the destination of the A title which Sixmilebridge won by the narrowest of margins while Ballyea were crowned U-16 B champions with victory over Kilkishen. Sixmilebridge 3-9   Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-11

THIS U-16A final was a thrilling contest and the result was in doubt right to the end of extra time.
A last-minute goal in extra time from Mairéad Hyland saw Sixmilebridge snatch victory from Newmarket. This was a fantastic game with the standard very high level despite the bad weather conditions.
Sixmilebridge were first to score with a point from Fiona Murphy in the first minute but points from Niki Kaiser in the 10th and 11th minutes saw Newmarket edge ahead.
Sixmilebridge reclaimed the lead again when Sinéad Tuohy goaled in the 13th minute and Alison Quinlan pointed two minutes later. Newmarket were back on terms when Anne Marie Hayes goaled after 16 minutes.
Sixmilebridge edged ahead again when Alison Quinlan palmed the ball to the Newmarket net in the 24th minute.
The final scores of the half came from Newmarket’s Bríd Enright, who pointed in the 25th minute; Niki Kaiser from play in the 26th minute and from a 30’ in the last minute of the half, while a pointed free from Sixmilebridge’s Chloe Morey left a point between the teams, Sixmilebridge 2-3 Newmarket 1-5.
Laura McMahon and Niki Kaiser got Newmarket off to a great start with points early in the second half but Sixmilebridge replied with a great point from Mairéad Hyland.
A high delivery into the Sixmilebridge goalmouth by Zelika Brown came off the post and into the net for Newmarket’s second goal of the game in the 14th minute.
Sixmilebridge fought back with points from Alison Quinlan and Sinéad Tuohy but Niki Kaiser replied for Newmarket with a like score. This was cancelled out when Chloe Morey pointed from a free with eight minutes remaining.
The final action of the half came from Sixmilebridge’s Sinéad Tuohy who pointed in injury time to send the game into extra time with the score at 2-8 each.
The first minute of extra time saw Sixmilebridge’s Sinéad Tuohy on target again when she pointed.
This was cancelled out when Niki Kaiser pointed from a free and the final action of the half came from Niki Kasier again when she pointed from a 30’ in the 10th minute to edge Newmarket ahead at half-time.
Newmarket scored a point to lead in the third minute. They held this lead until Mairéad Hyland goaled in the final minute of the half.

Sixmilebridge: Eimear Murray, Deanna Considine, Sinéad Hyland, Aisling Hawkes, Ciara Whelan, Patricia Fawl, Rachel Scanlon, Rachel O’Halloran, Chloe Morey (0-2f), Laura Whelan, Sinead Tuohy (1-3), Fiona Murphy (0-1), Katie Liddy, Mairéad Hyland (1-1), Alison Quinlan (1-2).
Subs: Emma Robbins, Elaine Carroll, Niamh Murray, Aishling Hassett, Siobhán Lynch, Laura Murray, Niamh Whyte, Kelly Finnegan, Christine Collins, Slaine Carey, Ellen Roche, Aoife Roche.
Newmarket: Rachel Kelleher, Sinéad McInerney, Joanne Hartigan, Kate O’Halloran, Katie Hayes, Clodagh Lawlor, Caroline Feehily, Zelika Brown (1-0), Niki Kaiser (0-8,) Saoirse Gleeson, Laura McMahon (0-1), Kate O’Neill, Ann Marie Hayes (1-0), Stephanie Coughlan, Aislinn Keogh.
Subs: Brid Enright (0-1) for Aislinn Keogh, Aoife Murphy, Mary Hayes, Ciara Quinlivan, Laura Commane, Katie Flanagan, Fiona O’Neill.
Meanwhile, in the Clare Champion U-16A shield final, Clooney defeated Wolfe Tones on a 2-7 to 1-0 scoreline.

Ballyea 2-2  Kilkishen 0-2

THIS match was a great curtain-raiser to the U-16A final and Ballyea made history with a first success at this level.
Kilkishen got off to a great start with a point from Kate O’Gorman in the seventh minute followed by a point from Clodagh O’Halloran in the 13th minute.
Kilkishen had most of the possession for the first quarter but couldn’t convert it to scores.
Ballyea hit back when Ciara Phillips goaled for the final score of the half to leave them ahead by a point, 1-0 to 0-2.
Ballyea had the only scores of the second half from Edel Hehir who pointed in the first minute and goaled in the 12th while Rebecca Culligan was their other scorer with a point.
Both backlines had great performances and were under intense pressure at times. For Ballyea, Ellen Keane, Louise Griffin, Rebecca Culligan, Catherine Dolan and Edel Hehir were impressive while, for Kilkishen, Anne Marie Beatty, Aisling Hannon, Antoinette Keane, Shauna Flemming, Paula Loughnane and Clodagh O’Halloran did well.

Ballyea: Suzy O’Shea, Jane Flanagan, Alison Carrig, Ciara Dennehy, Catherine Dolan, Ellen Keane (captain), Mairéad Longe, Louise Griffin, Rebecca Culligan, Shauna Hill, Emma Carey, Áine O’Shea (0-1), Emma Duggan, Edel Hehir (1-1), Ciara Phillips (1-0) .
Subs: Shauna Murphy for Emma Carey, Ria Flanagan for Shauna Hill, Shona Connolly for Shauna Murphy, Sally Carrig for Ciara Phillips Olivia Quigley, Niamh Doyle, Kate O’Callaghan, Caoimhe Hennigan, Emma Costelloe, Aisling Doyle, Carol Browne, Jackie Lynch, Gráinne McCarthy, Amy Logue.
Kilkishen: Pauline McNamara, Aisling Hannon, Anne Marie Beatty (captain), Anne Marie Cotter, Antoinette Keane, Paula Loughnane, Shauna Flemming, Amy Heffernan, Áine Cooney, Clodagh O’Halloran, Claudia Loughnane, Kate O’Gorman, Tara McLoughlin, Deirdre Minogue, Breda Cooney.
Subs: Megan Ryan for Anne Marie Cotter, Amy Philpott for Tara Mcloughlin, Áine McInerney for Breda Cooney.

Whitegate 6-6  Broadford 2-2

A GREAT team performance gifted Whitegate an emphatic win over Broadford last Saturday in the U-16C competition at Broadford. The last time these two teams met in the competition, it ended in a draw.
A tough game was expected but Whitegate’s ability to convert scores proved decisive on the day. Susan Fahy, at midfield, contributed a massive 2-4 and was ably assisted by Lisa O’Donoghue at full-forward (3-2) and Orla Burke at wing-forward (1-0). There were also some outstanding performance from Whitegate goalie , Laura Burke, captain, Rachael Bleach, Aideen Burke and Emma Quirke.
Whitegate: Lauren Solan, Lisa O’Donoghue, Rachel O’Donoghue, Shauna Donnellan, Jessie Starr, Orla Burke, Sinéad Coen, Carol Minogue, Susan Fahy, Emma Quirke, Rachael Bleach, Aideen Burke, Laura Burke.
Subs: Karen Bugler, Lara Madden, Laura Durack, Ciara Malone, Ailbhe McDermott, Robin Hurry, Noreen Bugler, Laura Mulvihill.
Broadford: Lorraine Kiniry, Catriona Gallagher, Karen Ryan, Amy Carroll, Eimear O’Shea, Anna Marie Burke, Áine Ryan, Laura Curtis, Cliona O’Brien, Nicole Moloney, Niamh McMahon, Aoife Dillon, Natalie O’Regan.
Subs: Vivian Peek, Róisín O’Connell, Niamh McInerney, Sharon Moloney, Katelyn Duggan, Aideen Maloney.